Aeri and I had just stumbled off the water roller coaster, our clothes damp from the splash and our hearts still racing from the wild ride. We found a wooden bench near a cluster of food stalls, the neon glow of the park casting colorful patterns across the ground. Aeri plopped down with a dramatic sigh, stretching her arms above her head and kicking out her legs, her black mini skirt riding up slightly, her tight white t-shirt clinging to her curves.
"Shwaaaa... that was epic," she said, her voice bright and carefree as she leaned back, her hair a little messy from the wind of the ride. She grinned, her eyes sparkling under the park’s twinkling lights, looking like she could take on the world.
"Indeed, it truly was," I said, chuckling as I handed her a giant stick of pink cotton candy, its fluffy cloud almost as big as her head, and a cold soda can from the nearby stall. "Here, your highness," I teased, giving her a mock bow.
"Thank you, my knight," Aeri said, her smile softening as she took the cotton candy, her fingers brushing mine for a split second. She pulled off a big piece and popped it into her mouth, her eyes fluttering shut as the sugar melted on her tongue.
"Yumm... it’s so sweet," she said, her hands cupping her cheeks like a kid, her voice muffled by the candy.
She looked so happy, so normal, it was hard to believe that just two minutes ago, she’d been teary-eyed on the ride, her face pressed to my chest, asking me to take care of her.
*Chsss.* I cracked open my soda can, the fizz breaking the quiet between us, and took a sip, the cold bubbles sharp against my throat and my mind kept circling back to her words.
*Please take good care of me, okay?* They’d hit me like a freight train, heavy with meaning, but now she was acting like nothing had happened, giggling over cotton candy like it was just another moment. Was she serious? Did that mean she’d accepted me, like, for real? My heart was doing flips, and I knew I had to ask, even if it made me nervous. I rubbed the back of my neck, my face heating up as I worked up the courage.
"Hey, Aeri..." I said, stepping in front of her as she sat on the bench.
She looked up, her mouth full of cotton candy, and stood to face me, wiping a bit of sugar from her lips.
"Yes?" she asked, her voice light, her eyes curious but with a hint of something else—like she knew what was coming.
I swallowed hard, my face definitely red now. "About what you said earlier..." I started, my hands fidgeting behind my neck. "You know, on the ride, when you—"
Before I could finish, Aeri quickly tore off a piece of cotton candy, shoving it into my mouth.
"Umm!" I mumbled, my eyes going wide as the sweet fluff dissolved on my tongue. I blinked at her, caught off guard, my words muffled by the candy.
She didn’t stop there. She broke off another piece and pushed it into my mouth, then another, and another, her movements quick and deliberate. My head bobbed instinctively, following her hand as she fed me, my cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk.
"Aeri..." I tried to say, my voice garbled, my mouth stuffed with sugar.
"It’s tasty, right?" she said, her voice bright and teasing, but her eyes darted away, avoiding mine.
She spun on her heel and started walking toward the next ride, her shoulders a little tense, like she was trying to outrun the conversation.
I stood there, chewing the candy, a mix of amusement and frustration bubbling in my chest. *She’s changing the topic,* I thought, sighing as I swallowed the sweetness. It was delicious, no doubt.
"Let’s go to those stalls," Aeri said, her voice bright as she pointed toward a row of colorful booths lined with twinkling string lights. "They’re selling lots of cute stuff!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Alright, let’s go," I said, smiling as I let her pull me along, the question I’d wanted to ask fading into the background.
The stalls were packed with trinkets—plush toys, glowing bracelets, and trays of candy that promised wild flavors. We stopped at a candy booth first, the vendor grinning as he handed us samples of "mystery" candies wrapped in shiny foil.
"Ready for this?" Aeri asked, holding up a bright red candy, her eyes daring me as she popped one into her mouth. I unwrapped mine—a green one—and tossed it in, expecting something sweet. Instead, my face scrunched up as a wave of extreme sourness hit me, making my eyes water.
"Ugh, what is this?!" I sputtered, grimacing as Aeri burst out laughing, her own face twisting from her candy’s spicy kick.
"Oh my God, Ezra, your face!" she cackled, clutching her stomach. "You look like you just bit a lemon!" She fanned her mouth, her cheeks red from the heat of her candy. "Mine’s so spicy, sheesh!"
"Yeah, laugh it up," I said, sticking out my tongue dramatically, which only made her laugh harder. We tried a few more—some sweet, some so sour they made us shudder, and one so spicy Aeri had to grab my soda to chug it down.
We moved to the next stall, where a display of animal ear headbands caught her eye. She picked up a pair of fluffy cat ears, black with pink insides, and plopped them on her head, striking a playful pose.
"What do you think?" she asked, tilting her head, looking so damn cute it made my chest ache.
"Adorable," I said, grabbing a matching pair for myself. I put them on, adjusting them over my hair, and Aeri immediately burst into giggles.
"Ezra, you look so out of place!" she said, covering her mouth. "You’re always so serious, and now you’ve got cat ears? It’s too much!"
"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes but grinning. "And you look no less than a Pokémon with those ears and that pout of yours."
Aeri’s jaw dropped, and she swatted my back, her pout deepening. "Rude!" she huffed.
We wandered to a photo booth next, its curtained entrance glowing with soft light.
"Come on, we need pictures," Aeri said, pulling me inside. The booth was cramped, barely enough room for both of us, and we squeezed onto the tiny bench, our thighs pressed together.
Aeri looped her arm through mine, resting her cheek on my shoulder as we faced the camera.
"Smile big," she said, her voice warm, and we clicked through a series of shots—goofy faces, cat ear poses, and one where she leaned in close, her lips brushing my cheek just as the flash went off.
When we stepped out, Aeri grabbed the photo strip, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the pictures.
"These are so cute," she said, holding them close like a treasure. But then she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Ahh, that was tiring."
I glanced at the towering Ferris wheel in the distance, its lights spinning slowly against the night sky.
"I guess we should hit the giant wheel now," I said, gesturing toward it with a smile. "Last big ride of the night, right?"
Aeri’s tired expression vanished, replaced by a burst of excitement. "Yes! Let’s do it!" she said.