Feather (A Milo Manheim Short)

Oh, its like that..

The pair though arriving together were clearly both on separate but identical missions of Christmas shopping for people they cared about.

"I was just going to head to Nike first.."

"Oh that's on my list too!" Milo chimed in and it was. He followed behind her. He needed to pick up a few special edition sneakers for a couple of friends on his list. While Parker simply planned to search through the clearance section hoping to find something for her close friend Kate.

"Okay what the hell.." Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as Milo found her in the clearance section. A large bag with at least five pairs of Air Force 1's filling it. "What?" He looked genuinely confused which she had to admit was kind of cute. His eyebrow raised as his eyes darted from her to the bag.
"How do you afford all of these gifts?" Milo parted his lips, closing his mouth as he seemed unsure how to answer the question.

"...Do you sell drugs?"  His eyes bulged before laughing out loud, "No! Oh my.. I'm.. how do
I say this without sounding pretentious ... um I'm a actor?"  It was her turn to look at him incredulously.

"...an actor?"

He smirked as she looked at him like he was full of shit. "Follow me." Tugging her hand he pulled her out of the Nike store. "Hey I wasn't done—"

"It's going to take four seconds.." Milo assured her, surprised she hadn't ripped her hand out of his yet.

Outside the store he made a quick right and then a left. They stood in front of one of those tv screen billboards that changed every few seconds.

"Okay what—-" She cut herself off as the screen changed before them. An ad for a show now on Netflix flashing across the screen. She gaped as none other than Milo's face sans glasses, sporting a varsity jacket and gray sweats stared back at her from the screen.

Suddenly the screen changed and Parker was brought back to the present. Where she was still holding the hand of a man she really didn't know.

Milo seemed to feel the change in the air, he let her hand slip from his. Scratching the back of his head as things became oddly tense. A confession leaving his lips before he could censor himself.

"That's kind of why I freaked when you took my phone.." His eyes squeezing shut, a harsh breath leaving his lips as he realized he sounded like such a asshole. "Y-you had every right to do what you did.. its just—my whole life is on that thing.."

Parker looked up at him curiously as he fumbled. He didn't have to tell her anything at all but he chose to. He was honest without needing to be.

"I get it." She didn't need to dwell on what happened. The past was the past for now and nothing was ever going to change by dragging it into the present. Unless he showed her again she couldn't trust him...

"Alright I seriously need to find my friend a sweater."

"After you." Chuckling he gestured for her to lead, following her back into the Nike store. A weight off his chest as she carried on without a word.

Maybe they could really be friends..

"I'm starving.." Milo groaned, his eyes staring down the Nobu sign out the window as he continued to wait for Parker to find a gift for her friend Jillian.

They had been in dozens of stores together and apart. He was even holding some of her bags for her after dropping off his items in his car.

"Go eat, I can take my stuff.." Laughing she reached over for the bags he had lazily hanging off his fingers. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he straightened up and pulled the bags from her reach.

"Not even, I'm not leaving you with all these bags.. or eating without you.. that's rude."

Parker snorted, her eyes warily taking a peak at the Nobu sign staring back at them.

"It's okay. I can take my bags and I'll just get an Uber after this .." An Uber would be cheaper than a meal at Nobu. Plus.. She didn't even have money for such a meal, especially not after her Christmas shopping.

"Come on. You haven't eaten all day either.. Just get this and let's go stuff our faces." Milo grabbed a random sweater off the rack, pushing it toward Parker. Even on the clearance rack it was still a tad pricey, and stuff our faces? Who can afford to do that at NoBu?!

"I'm good, really. I've never even been anyways.." She shrugged, trying to keep her cool as she put the sweater back on the rack.

Maybe Jillian would just have to settle for a giftcard. Not typically Parker's style but she was running out of ideas.. and money.

"Okay now we're definitely going." Milo grabbed her hand, he had his mind set and his stomach had agreed. There was no going back.

"I really don't want to.." Parker pulled her back her hand from his grasp as soon as they made it out of the store. She was definitely done for the day and was ready to just Uber home.

Milo suddenly felt the odd tension in the air, his eyebrows pulling together and cheeks flushing wondering if he was being too forward. Even though he felt like he knew her, he really didn't..

"S-sorry uh.. Your right, I just wanted to see if I could treat you to lunch? Todays just been really.. fun.." Fumbling for the right words, he swallowed wanting to look anywhere but the girl currently staring up at him like he was the plague.

"...Treat me to lunch?"

"Yeah.." He answered slowly, not getting the confusion.

"Why? You drove me here.."
"Yeah but you've kept me company pretty much all day... and I've liked hanging with you. If your not hungry or just not into sushi—-" He was starting to think maybe he missed something, like a diet or a allergy.

"—-do you just buy things for everyone? All the time?" Her sudden accusing tone caught him off guard. Scratching his neck he nodded, still not seeing the big deal. "Uh.. yeah?"

"Why?"

"Why not?" Milo shrugged, he raised his eyebrow not getting why Parker seemed so agitated. "I can, so I do.."

"So it's not just because of.. what you did?" Milo went wide eyed, shaking his head quickly as it suddenly clicked. "N-no I swear I'm— not trying to like—- b-buy you.."
Cringing at his poor choice of words he began to feel frantic. "I'm just hungry and wanted sushi!" Waving his hands around as he talked. A nervous habit of his that only made Parker bite her lip in amusement until he said what he said next.
"And I wanted to spend more time with you—-"

"——You do?" Parker raised a eyebrow, cutting him off yet again but her question along with the way she cutely tilted her head to the side instantly took his breath away. A chuckle bubbling out of his throat which in turn made her nose scrunch up a little.

Milo laughed, breathlessly as he shook his head.

"Yeah.. I do."

Like a feather, like a feather, like a feather