Oh no, I’m late!
That’s the first thought that runs through your mind as you get out of the taxi, hastily thanking the driver before diving into the crowd. You had made plans with Lucien earlier in the week, choosing the amusement park as a way to destress from the hectic schedule you had. Your gaze darts around as you look for the professor, but when you find no sign of him, your hand reaches into your pocket, quickly pulling out your phone. Just as you’re about to dial his number, you feel a familiar presence behind you, and a gentle hand grasps your wrist.
“Looking for me?”
You look up in surprise, finding the kind brown gaze that held warm amusement at your expression. You smile as you put your phone away, giving him an enthusiastic nod.
“Yes! I’m sorry I’m late. The traffic was worse than I expected, and it was hard to get a taxi-”
He cuts you off with a gentle laugh, waving your concerns away as he leads the way through the crowd towards the ticket booths. As you walk through the crowd, you notice that he hasn’t let go of your wrist, and that he’s subtly shielding your smaller body from bumping into anyone that you walk by. A grateful smile graces your lips, happy that there was no chance of you getting lost as you prepared to enter the amusement park.
“Don’t worry. It is the weekend after all. We expected a lot of people to be here. The day is only beginning.”
With just a few words, he’s able to melt your worries away. His gentle voice and kind smile brightens you up, and you nod in agreement. As he said, the day is only beginning, and you had a whole amusement park to explore. You bounce slightly, excitement filling your mind as you enter the park, vaguely aware of the well wishes of the employee. The energy of the people around you feels intoxicating, Lucien watches with a small smile, a playful breeze tugging on his brown locks as you instinctively grab his hand. Without another word, you’re dragging him forward, making your way through the crowd to go for the nearest ride.
“Lucien! Look at that one! Can we go on it? I feel like the line for it will be super long later.” “Of course. We can do whatever you’d like.”
He chuckles lightly, letting you take the lead as your gaze flits from one ride to the next. Your obvious excitement was something that he hadn’t expected. It was a pleasant surprise, one that allowed him to see a cute side of you that he hadn’t seen before.
You go from ride to ride, pleasantly surprised to see that the amusement park had some of the classics that seemed to be found at many others. One that looked like a viking ship, spinning swings, a ride that did nothing but go up and down at varying speeds. Each one filled you with thrills, adrenaline rushing through you. Your excitement only grows after every ride, a bright smile gracing your lips as you pull Lucien to the next.
Lucien smiles with you, pleased to see you enjoying yourself instead of worrying about work for once. As the lines get longer, you both decide to take a break from the rides, taking the chance to walk around and take in some of the sights of the amusement park. Your bright smile lingers, the fun and relaxing atmosphere keeping you at ease even as you push through the crowd. The bright sunlight illuminates the decorative flowers that seemed to dance in the playful breeze alongside the paths.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes! It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun. What about you, Lucien?”
You raise your voice slightly, talking over the sounds of the excited children and couples that surrounded you both. The excited chatter combined with the smell of fast food and cotton candy only adds to the festive atmosphere, putting a spring in your step as you glance at him. He gives you a smile, his eyes closing into happy crescents as he nods in agreement.
“I’m pleased to hear that. I’m enjoying myself as well.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one having fun. What should we do next?”
Just as you ask the question, your gaze falls on a cotton candy stand on the side of the path. Your gaze softens at the sight of a little girl that accepts the cotton candy from the employee, her gaze filled with amazement at the fluffy pink cloud that was now in her hands. You’re too far away to hear her, but the delight in her expression is unmistakable as she clutches the paper cone with one hand, the other quickly finding that of her father’s.
Oh how cute. It’s been a while since I’ve had some cotton candy. I wonder…? No, we should move on. There will be other things to eat.
“How about buying a cotton candy cone for your girlfriend, sir!”
Eh? Girlfriend? Who is he talking to?
You glance at the employee, only to find her staring straight at you and Lucien. You open your mouth to clarify that you aren’t a couple, but before a word comes out, Lucien places a hand on the small of your back, gently guiding you towards the stand. You blush slightly, looking at him in surprise and confusion, highly aware of the warmth of his hand through your clothes. He gives you another smile, before turning to the employee, not bothering to correct her in any way.
“How much for two cones? We’ll take a blue and pink one, please.” The rest of the conversation falls into the background as you take a moment to actually get a clear look at Lucien. Although you had already spent half the day together, your excitement at exploring the amusement park had pushed all other thoughts out of your mind. Your blush deepens when you realize that you had been holding his hand all day, slightly embarrassed by how carried away you got. He glances at you as he waits for the cotton candy, giving you a soft smile before turning his attention back to the employee. His brown locks shimmer in the sunlight, fluttering in the summer breeze. His brown gaze is filled with amusement, as if he knew exactly what was going through your mind at that moment.
“We can share the two flavors, if you’d like.” “Y-yes! That sounds good to me!”
Your hand brushes against his as you accept the pink cone of cotton candy, and you instinctively hide your face behind the pink cloud. As you walk through the park, the path a bit emptier thanks to people settling down for lunch, you steal quick glances at him. His smile, his gentleness, his kindness. All of it seemed to stand out more than usual, or maybe you were just paying more attention than usual? Whatever it was, another flush of pink tinges your cheeks, a sudden realization hitting you as you rip off a piece of the blue cotton candy in Lucien’s hands.
...This kind of feels like a date.
The words of the cotton candy employee suddenly ring through your mind, and you quickly shake your head, desperately trying to stop your train of thoughts. Your sudden action draws a concerned frown from Lucien and he tilts his head to meet your gaze as he continues to walk through the amusement park. You stop as you meet his gaze, your mouth suddenly feeling dry as you try to think of something to say.
If you were less nervous, you would have noticed that the two of you had found your way to a small garden within the amusement park. Green hedges provided some shelter from the sunlight, decorated by colorful flowers that attract butterflies to flit about. You shuffle back as Lucien leans in, flinching in surprise when you feel the leaves of the hedge brush against your back.
“Is everything alright? Your cheeks seem flushed, and you seem slightly unfocused. Are you feeling sick?”
“Oh! No, I’m alright. Just feeling a bit hot from the sun. I feel much better in the shade.” You let out a breathless laugh as you fan yourself with a hand to convince him that you’re telling the truth. His searching gaze holds yours for another moment before he straightens up with a smile. He gently takes the now empty cotton candy cone from your hand, gathering it with his own as he briefly ruffles your hair with a quiet chuckle.
“Alright. I'll throw these away and get us some water. You get some rest here, ok?”
He waves towards a nearby bench, and you avoid eye contact as you give him a nod. The sound of his receding footsteps helps you calm down, and you press your hands against your cheeks to cool them down as you sit on the bench. In an attempt to distract yourself, your gaze flits around finally taking in your surroundings. Awe fills your expression at the pretty garden that surrounds you, before your gaze falls on a nearby merry-go-round. The light and playful music drifts over the sounds of excited children that ride the dancing animals. Your gaze softens as you watch how happy they look, noticing the looks of adoration the parents wear as they stand or sit beside their children.
How cute…
“Do you want to go on the merry-go-round?”
You look in the direction of the soft voice, surprised to see Lucien standing so close to you. After all, you hadn’t heard his approach. He smiles kindly at you, awaiting an answer as you glance at the ride with decorated animals before looking back to meet his expectant brown gaze.
“Uhm- W-well… The kids seem to be having a lot of fun on it, I thought it was cute.”
Lucien chuckles in response, gently taking your hand and guiding you towards the ride. You vaguely hear his response about enjoying everything you can while you are there, highly conscious of how perfectly his hand seemed to fit in yours. The line for the merry-go-round moves quickly, and soon you’re sitting atop a white horse decorated with blue and silver. Lucien settles down on the brown one beside you, giving you a smile as he places a hand on the golden pole. As the ride starts moving, you look out towards the crowd, watching as the scenery changes with each moment. It filled you with a different kind of joy, one that didn’t compare to the feelings that came from the other rides.
Lucien watches you fondly, intent on committing the sight of you to his memory. The way your hair fluttered in the wind, your excited smile, and the glimmer of happiness in your gaze. The way you held on to the horse, the way you looked around, determined to see everything in the area. Of course, what he knew he would never forget, was the way you looked at him. The softness of your eyes, the slight blush in your cheeks, the delicate curve of your lips.
All of it made him thankful that he was the one who asked you to go to the amusement park with him. Grateful that he was able to have this one, uninterrupted day with you.
As the ride slows to a stop, he’s quick to hop off his horse, immediately beside yours to help you down. Your lingering excitement keeps your embarrassment at bay, and you place your hand in his letting him lead you off the ride.
“Thank you for taking me on the merry-go-round, Lucien.”
“Of course. Did you enjoy it?”
Your heart flutters at the sight of his signature smile as you nod enthusiastically. His smile widens, and he gives your hand a gentle squeeze as you start to walk through the crowd once more.
“That’s good. What shall we do next?”
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