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artem had a special relationship with stellis’ amusement park, a place bustling on the weekends and always getting renovated.
he had visited with his mentor before, a topic of great pain for him. however, this wasn’t the only reason for his feelings towards the place.
it was because you came here with him, quite a few times. your smile lit up the atmosphere of the place, whether on a roller coaster (that he wasn’t too fond of, and neither were you) or a simple train ride.
celestine somehow always had it so that you and artem were alone for long stretches of time whenever there was a team building, especially at the theme park. artem didn’t mind- in fact, he was the one who often volunteered to accompany you to certain places.
a smile graced his face at remembering visiting the haunted house with you, and how you played along to the scary tactics to ensure artem had the best experience.
in reality, he cherished the moments he had with you the most, no matter what they were.
now, he found himself at the amusement park once again, replacing his bitter old memories with new ones involving you and him as partners- still only business ones, though neither of you seemed exactly satisfied with that.
“the haunted house still looks the same!” you said, glancing over to the tall building. “yes, it hasn’t been too long,” your partner replied. “i’m glad about that,” you smiled. you guys were walking to the carnival games section, with classic games where you could win lavish prizes.
usually, you wouldn’t fall into these types of endless money traps, but a certain number of games were included in the price of admission, and you were confident in artem’s abilities.
“let’s try this ring toss, artem!” you showed him a certain stand where a man in a silly hat stood. “hello! a prize guaranteed for getting at least five rings!” the man said, getting some of the circular discs. he stamped your card showing that you participated in one game, and artem started the toss as the spokes spun around.
he made one goal, then another. “wow! your boyfriend has wonderful aim!” the employee complimented, making you blush. “i know,” you smiled, not denying the error of relationship. artem handed you a ring. “i won’t be able to do it as good as you…” you said.
“just try. focus on the stick you’re going for and throw it freely.” he guided your hand, then let go so you could throw it. squinting, you threw the item, and it barely made it onto the goal, rattling down.
“yay!” you grabbed artem’s arm without thinking. “nice job,” he smiled. he went again, making two more goals, then you made two more until the time ran out.
“congrats! now you can choose a prize.” the man in the hat gestured towards a wall at the front of the shop. “what do you want?” artem asked, light eyes wandering the rack. “that chick plushie is adorable…” you pointed at a soft looking yellow toy. the man plucked it down and handed it to you. “then it’s yours!” he said. “thank you,” you and artem said before walking away.
“i can hold that, if you want. you’re right, it is cute,” artem said, offering you his hand. you gave the toy to him, and it suddenly became ten times cuter in his hands.
“it’s soft,” he said, the smile on his face being the most adorable thing as he pet the top of it, his long fingers resting on top. you suddenly hoped he would pat you in that way, and the thought went straight to your cheeks, coloring them pink.
“there’s… a dart shooting game over there,” you changed the subject to avoid looking flustered, “you’re sure to win with your perfect aim!” you recalled the events at the club. “perfect? i wouldn’t say that,” he shifted the plushie to the nook of his elbow.
“don’t be so humble,” you playfully nudged him, “mr. senior-attorney-at-twenty-nine.” his ears reddened. “i’m glad you think so highly of me,” artem replied.
the two of you had made it to the stand of your choice, where another employee greeted you. there were eight plastic bottles, and the player had to shoot them all down with ten or less foam bullets. the sight was mesmerizing as artem took aim, his breathtaking eyes focused and his side profile gorgeous. “ready… set… start!” the worker said.
click. a hit. then a short pause. click click. two more successes. click click click click click.
with graceful moves, artem shot everything down without a single bullet or breath wasted. he put down the gun with a proud smile as you clapped for him. you picked out a rather large teddy bear- a special price for a perfect run.
“sorry for not letting you shoot,” artem said as he held the second toy. “artem, with how talented you are, i’d make you play all the games so we could win the prizes anyway!” you smiled at seeing his large hand press against the bear as he held it against his chest.
artem checked the time on his wrist. “it’s almost time to meet up with celestine and kiki,” he said. the two of them had insisted they meet up at the halfway point of the day to show off the prizes they won. you and artem traveled to the cafe, where your coworkers were waiting.
“y/n!” kiki rushed over to you. “did you and mr. wing really win all of that?” she asked, eyes wide. “we did.” artem nodded nonchalantly as the two of you sat down across them at a table. “ugh, i couldn’t win anything! celestine won a little,” kiki crossed her arms in annoyance, “maybe i should just tag along with you guys.”
at that statement, celestine gave kiki a deadly look. “oh, haha! no, i’m fine staying with myself! wouldn’t want to… intrude!” she giggled. kiki really wasn’t a great liar, her intentions clear as the two of you blushed.
celestine cleared her throat. “are you two having fun? where do you plan to go next?”
“we definitely are! the activities here are great, but we haven’t decided where to go next yet,” you said and glanced at artem. “how about the ferris wheel?” he suggested. you nodded excitedly, noticing how the teddy bear was on artem’s lap. you reached over to pat it, though your hand ended up resting on your partner’s thigh. his expression didn’t change- as expected of artem- but his ears did redden quite a bit.
instead of brushing you off, he brought his hand around yours, his grip surrounding you like a warm blanket under the table. celestine and kiki would certainly be amused if they knew what was happening a few inches under their view.
you glanced at artem’s side, his jaw sharp and his eyes like a crystal. he showed no facial indication that he was putting his hands on you, but you knew you were from the way your cheeks were burning. you saw his tongue move inside his mouth, as if he was swallowing his words as he stroked your hand.
celestine ordered four coffees, which came quickly as the park wasn’t too busy today. artem’s hand did not shift the entire time, as he used the other to pick up his cup. minutes passed, with words and laughs being exchanged as kiki described her game experiences. “the ball hit me in the face! it wasn’t hard, but i still asked the employee for compensation! she gave me a deflated balloon,” she explained.
“artem looked so cool shooting down all of those targets! boom, boom, boom, and they were all gone,” you spoke up. “and y/n did really well with the ring toss,” artem commented.
after a while of conversation, everyone stood, your hand left artem’s thigh, but was still wrapped around his hand, now visible to your two colleagues. “we’ll be off then,” artem said as you turned back to give them a small wave. they waited until you two were out of of earshot to start whispering.
“did you see that? they were holding hands!”
“i did. they’re adorable, and it’s time they realize it.”
artem pulled up a map of the park on his phone, leading you to the ferris wheel. it was soon visible in the horizon, slowly turning. daylight was slowly dwindling, as if to leave the two partners to have their own time without the bright gaze of the sun. “maybe we’ll touch the moon at the top,” artem chuckled at his own statement.
there wasn’t much of a line, since there were multiple seats and not much of a crowd. making your way into one of the boxes with nobody else in it, you sat next to artem. you had expected a nice and quiet time, but relaxation truly hit you as the wheel started to rotate.
“are you tired?” artem asked as your eyes began to flutter closed. “you can lean on me, if you want,” he muttered, but you heard his suggestion loud and clear. his shoulder was heavenly to you, firm but not uncomfortable at all.
you stiffened a bit as his arm wrapped around your shoulders. artem didn’t try to disguise it as a stretch, only blushing wildly through the obvious motion. how cute, you thought. “today has been fun,” you smiled, nestling into his grasp.
his protection was unmatched in your eyes, the sense of trust that you felt around him being the most you had ever experienced. “i’m not sleepy or anything… it’s just so relaxing up here,” you said.
“it’s fine, you can close your eyes. i’ll tell you when the view is the best.” artem always looked after you.
you didn’t sleep, instead calming yourself against the steady rhythm of his breathing. you could see the teddy bear on his lap when you opened your eyes a crack. he was so warm, and it wasn’t just from the layers of clothing he was clad in.
“hey, look,” he gently tapped your shoulder. you opened your eyes and got up, surprising artem with how energetic you were being. “we’re almost at the top. there’s a flock of birds going home over there,” artem looked through the glass.
“is it going to rain?” you gestured towards a group of dark clouds some distance away. “it looks like it,” artem said, checking the weather app on his phone, “quite a bit actually, in about an hour.”
despite the darkness, there was a faint glimmer of moonlight at the very top of the ferris wheel, the lights of stellis complementing the atmosphere. “look at that,” he smiled.
you took his hand into yours, as if the moon was coaxing you into his touch. an honorable reason, most would say. in your eyes, the thin veil of light was not a driving factor but one that added beauty to an already happening and beautiful situation.
no blush came to artem’s face this time. this simply feels so right, he thought. you pointed out the general area of the law firm, of your house, of his house, and all he could do was nod along.
your eyes seemed to never leave him, always glancing at his eyes, his lips, wherever your gaze landed. like before, his fingers were entwined with yours the entire ride.
the descent seemed to go faster than the way up, and soon you guys were rushing towards the exit to avoid the inevitable downpour coming your way.
“artem, wait! can we take some photos in the booth first?” you walked quickly towards the little area. “sure,” he walked into the curtain sealing the seat from the outside world.
the writing on the booth said one session consisted of five photos, each with a five second preparation time before the next.
the first photo was fairly simple, with the two of you leaning into each other and smiling into the camera. the second consisted of both of you holding up peace signs, with you holding the teddy to the camera. the third was both of you making silly faces, and the fourth was serious faces with the chick toy on artem’s head.
then came the countdown for the final photo, and you felt an idea enter your mind.
5…
no, it’s too bold!
4…
it’s now or never.
3…
just do it, what’s the worst that can happen?
2…
what if he never looks at me again? but…
1…
i have to try!
right as the camera shutter clicked to take the final photo, you pulled artem’s face close to yours, giving him a rushed kiss which lasted long after the machine said thank you and printed the photos.
artem slowly closed his eyes, easing into your mouth and holding you everywhere. his touch suddenly felt even more comfortable, even more secure than ever before. the stuffed animals were sandwiched in between you two, and artem removed them so his chest pressed against you, heat hitting you from all over the place. you pulled off slightly, his hands in your hair as you looked into his eyes.
then, the sounds of rain came from the outside, and the two of you quickly claimed your photos and your toys. “come on,” artem said against your ear, holding your hand as you two almost ran to the car.
the parking lot was farther away than you thought, and you were winded from running, so artem found some shade for you two to stand in.
only allowing a moment to catch your breath, artem kissed you into the wall, his motions full of a passion that you had desired for a long time. you felt his hands brushing water off of your hair, and you did the same, turning the strands of wet hair into an adorable mess.
needing oxygen, he pulled off. “you didn’t get too wet, did you?” his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “no… this, all of this, it’s perfect,” you smiled at him. “the rain is only getting worse. we should go now,” artem held your hand again. you almost couldn’t believe he was reciprocating your actions, your feelings. you could only hope the rain wouldn’t wash away this moment like a dream.
after another jog, you two were in the car, panting. “i hope celestine and kiki made it,” he said and handed you some napkins to dry off. the rain was so hard that all that was visible from window was a sheet of white.
you were holding the pictures, admiring them. the air was slightly awkward, neither of you knowing exactly how to channel your passion into words. “look at the last picture,” you giggled and showed artem the shot. his eyes were wide as your lips touched his, half turned towards the camera and half facing you.
he chuckled at the sight. “i was a bit shocked. but… i wouldn’t change anything,” he looked at the image. “me neither,” you beamed.
he started the car when the rain slowed a little, and soon you were on the highway. thunder boomed loudly, and rain pelted the top of the car with loud noises. “it’s so hard to see,” artem said, “i’ll stop at the rest stop for a while,” he said, pulling into a parking lot.
the pour sheathed you two from the outside world like blinds, free to do whatever you wanted inside the vehicle.
seizing the moment, you took artem’s lips onto yours again, the console of the car hitting you in a strange way. “wait, wait, let’s go to the back, there’s more space,” artem muttered, not being able to release your lips even as he spoke.
when both of you had climbed into the backseat, there was little inhibition regarding touchiness. you were all over him, and artem’s senses were on overdrive everywhere your fingers crossed him. you felt the same everywhere his lips graced your skin.
jackets were shrugged off, hands locked on each other’s, and taste shared between tongues as the rain fell relentlessly. your phone buzzed, the sound of it only revealed when the downpour finally slowed.
the two of you were basking in each other at this point, artem tangling you in his arms as the sky cleared once again. the hug he gave you made this moment perfect, a smile on both of your faces.
this would certainly be artem’s fondest memory of the amusement park, in his mind.