Chapter Text
You weren’t sure which was crazier luck - that Blind Channel had finally scored some tour dates in the United States, or that your boyfriend, Niko, had found an excuse to drag you on tour with him. Still, it wasn’t like you were just on vacation. Niko was always grinding, and he had put you to work immediately - helping drag equipment in and out of venues, and assisting Kiril with taking photos for the band’s social media pages. You both had barely had a chance to catch your breath.
But, today, there was a brief lull between festival dates. A day off was a rare treat, and he had insisted on spending it with you alone. You’d discovered that a state fair was happening, not far from where Niko and the boys had played a gig last night. You’d asked to go, and he had been thrilled at the idea of bringing you here on a date. Now, you were walking through the sunny fairgrounds together, surrounded by the delighted screams of children on carnival rides, and the smell of sugary foods being fried.
“Babe, you have to try a bite of this,” Niko insisted, brushing powdered sugar off his sleeveless black shirt.
“What even is that?” you laughed.
“Uhh...deep fried candy bar on a stick, I think,” Niko grinned. “American food is crazy…I fucking love it.”
“If Americans actually ate this stuff every day, I think they would all have diabetes by now,” you chuckled. “I’ll taste it, though.”
“Say ahh,” he grinned, holding the stick out to you.
“Aaah,” you opened wide, and he shoved the stick into your mouth. You were about to make a dumb innuendo, but you got distracted by how damn good the snack was. “Mmm!”
“I told you,” Niko laughed, linking his strong, tattooed arm with yours as you continued to walk along.
“Niko, look!” you gasped, suddenly distracted by a midway game.
“What are you looking at?” Niko blinked, confused. “The prizes?”
“The big bear at the very top!” you pointed. “It’s white with black ears. Doesn’t it remind you of Rommi?”
“You’re right!” Niko realized. “The coloring is exactly the same as my cat! Do you want me to try and win it for you, Y/N?”
“Please?” you batted your eyelashes.
“Anything for you, babe,” Niko smiled, kissing your cheek.
He walked over to the game kiosk, and looked more closely at the sign above the carnival worker’s head. It read Water Blaster .
“How do you play this one?” Niko asked curiously.
“You take this here water gun, and you shoot at the target,” the carnie explained.
“Oh, is that all?” Niko raised his eyebrow. “I’ll have you know, back home in Finland, my dad used to take me deer hunting all the time. So, I’m actually very good at shooting.”
“A hunting rifle and a water pistol are two very different things,” you pointed out.
“Don’t worry, babe,” Niko assured you. “I got this. How much?”
“Five dollars to play,” the carnie replied.
Niko fished a bill out of his pocket, and handed it to the older-looking gentleman.
The man handed him a water gun. “Alright, whenever you’re ready, aim n’ fire!”
Niko pulled the trigger, spraying a jet of water at the target. Somehow, it failed to hit the bullseye.
“No prize,” the carnie deadpanned.
“No!” Niko’s face fell. He looked so crestfallen. “I have to win that bear for my girlfriend! Please, let me play again!”
“Sweetie, you don’t have to,” you whispered, taking the gun from his hand. “I hear these kinds of games are usually rigged anyway.”
“No, give it back!” Niko pouted stubbornly. “I really wanted to get this for you. I can do it!”
“Five more dollars,” the carnie demanded, holding his hand out expectantly.
“Fine,” Niko grumbled, handing over another five dollar bill.
“Niko, don’t waste all your money,” you warned.
“It’s not a waste if it’s for you!” Niko insisted. You knew you wouldn’t be able to talk him out of this. He was getting feisty fast - you thought he might haul off and fight the carnie if he lost again. But, his passionate emotions were one of the things you loved about him most.
“Go on,” the carnie dared. “Shoot.”
Niko backed up a few paces, and squinted at the target. “I got this,” he mumbled to himself.
“You totally got it, sweetie,” you encouraged, hugging him from behind.
“For you, Y/N, I think I could do anything,” Niko said softly, turning his head to give you a quick and gentle kiss. Then, he turned his gaze back to the carnival game. With a determined expression, he pulled the trigger, spraying a strong stream of water.
“HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH SCORE!” bellowed an automated voice, from somewhere within the machine.
“Oh my gosh, you did it!” you gasped, clapping your hands excitedly.
“Victooooooory!” Niko cheered triumphantly, pulling you into a celebratory kiss that was longer and more passionate than the first. His tongue tasted just like powdered sugar.
“What prize do you want?” the carnie asked.
Niko blushed as he pulled away from you. He had almost forgotten the carnie was standing there.
“Umm, the big bear at the very top, please,” he requested.
“Here ya go,” the carnie shrugged, pulling the stuffed animal off the rack, and handing it to him.
“Whoa, Niko, that bear is almost bigger than you are!” you giggled. “Are you going to be able to carry it back to the hotel?”
“I’m strong!” Niko smirked, flexing his bare bicep. “I can carry this big guy all the way back to Helsinki for you if you want! He’s going to be Rommi’s new best friend.”