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You are absolutely beside yourself with excitement. With a yellow wristband adorning your wrist, you enter the amusement park and practically explode. If an amusement park with prospects such as ferris wheels and slides and roller coasters wasn’t exciting enough by itself, today you were at one with your three best friends in the whole world.
“Oh my god! Rose, Rose, did you see that?” Jade screeches as she points at the winding body of a coaster. Rose looks on with her and titters something about the novelty of an amusement park, a smile curling on her face. You glance over at Dave and see that he’s just standing there aloof. Was he trying to pretend he wasn’t excited?
“Dave, what’s your favorite kind of roller coaster? The ones that pick you up and drop you? Or the ones where you go upside down? Or the old fashioned ones?” You bring up a hand and start listing them off your fingers, Dave smirks once you have turned his attention to you.
“The rickety wooden ones. Nothing like a trip back to the fifties.”
“Actually, the Golden Era of wooden roller coasters was in the twenties,” Rose casually corrects him.
“Thanks, Wikipedia. I really needed the disambiguity.”
All four of you continue on into the park until you reach the first destination: Bumper Cars. After waiting an absurd amount of time, as is routine of large attractions, you clamber into a green car. When the machines whir to life, you have a foreboding feeling moments before you’re rear ended at full speed. Jade picked a blue car across the ring, most likely for that second where you nearly fell face first out of your own bumper car.
“If you can hit me, I’ll buy you ice cream!” Jade cackles.
“If I can’t, then I’ll buy it!” you shoot back, certain in your ability to nail her at least once. The rest of the ride is spent in retaliation as you try to ram into Jade but only end up accidentally hitting Dave, who is avoiding his own blonde demon.
You decide to buy for everyone. Jade orders chocolate, Rose chooses vanilla, and Dave picks strawberry. You’ve got rocky road, and all the main flavors are covered between all four of you.
“Rocky road isn’t a main flavor of ice cream, dweeb,” Dave snorts when you share that revelation. “If anything, rocky road is the Bunny to the trio, the fourth musketeer, the-”
“Yeah? Well strawberry isn’t a major flavor either! When people ask what flavor you want, it’s always chocolate or vanilla,” you fire back, mentally conceding defeat on rocky road’s popularity status.
“Strawberry is always there, hiding in the midst of the great plains of brown and white.” Dave crosses his arms, his mouth a set line.
“Will you two shut up and enjoy your ice cream already?” Jade complains. You two clam your mouths shut but if eyes could tell any story, this is a battle not yet lost. At least that’s what your eyes are broadcasting; Dave’s shades hide away the defiance you see in the creases of his face.
When it’s time to ride coasters, both Dave and Rose sit to one side and Rose waves you and Jade on. “What’s the matter?” you ask, worried.
“I’m feeling a little light-headed, and a whirl on a high-speed vehicle won’t be helping me any,” Rose answers delicately.
“Can’t leave a lady by herself. Would be downright unchivalrous,” Dave adds for his own defense, but you still think it a little odd.
Intentions aside, you take Jade for her very first ride on a real life roller coaster. She screams the whole time with you and you’re both alternating between that and laughing through the twists and turns.
“Holy shit, John!” she screeches in your ear on an especially tumultuous part, and repeats herself benignly when the two of you are off the coaster. She’s leaning on your shoulder and you are both slapping your knees, riddled with giggles. The people around you are staring and you don’t pull yourselves together until you’re back with Dave and Rose.
Dave’s eyebrows are pulled together, almost like he’s annoyed. You see check Rose to see that she has a placid expression. He wasn’t fighting with Rose, so what’s he look upset about? Jade’s arm leaves your shoulder and the eyebrows return to normal a few seconds after. Maybe he was passing gas, you joke to yourself.
You and Jade proceed through the rigamarole of rides while Dave and Rose sit to one side, with exception to the tamer Go Karts and raft rides. When your little band reaches the wooden roller coaster, Rose uncharacteristically exclaims “Oh it’s getting rather late!” indicating the sunset.
Jade bites her lip and says, “Yeah, I wanted to check out the gift shops.”
Your spirits are dampened as you longingly gaze at the last thrill ride in the park. “Oh, okay. Well I guess we can shop a little before we leave.” You start to turn around, before Jade stops you.
“Oh no it’s okay! Me and Rose’ll go look around and Dave won’t have to babysit Rose any more so he can ride this one with you!” She seems pleased with herself for having realized this. Rose’s eyebrows quirk a little, much like Dave’s had earlier, but she stays quiet.
“You’re right! And didn’t you say your favorite type of coaster is the wooden kind?” You turn to Dave with a hopeful smile.
“And I was just thinking I needed a good ol’ minute with the granny tracks.” Dave smiles back at you, but there’s something tight about it.
“Great. Well, we’ll meet you at the ferris wheel when we’re done,” Rose decides before whisking Jade and herself off in a hurry.
While you’re in line, you strike up the conversation with Dave. “So, how many roller coasters have you been on before?”
“All of the coasters, Egbert,” he answers, unusually short. You look at him oddly, trying to see if there are any clues in his body language for what’s amiss.
“What’s wrong?” you ask, peering at him.
“What could be wrong? Just gettin’ ready to scream my guts out with my best bro on this lean-to adrenaline rush,” he drags out, maybe realizing his terse language was what gave him away.
“Are you...” you pause for a dramatic effect, “nervous?” The possibility has you grinning like a madman.
“Oh my god, Egbert, why ever would you think that? Of course I am, my dainty lady legs are quivering. I’m not ready for this big step in my life, I lost my big boy panties before we got in line.” Fresh streams of sarcasm drip off his tongue, but you saw the way his shoulders tensed.
“This is going to be a lot of fun,” you tease evilly as passengers depart the carts and it’s your turn.
The PA has a young woman advising people. “Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. Please take off any loose items, such as hats or glasses...” As soon as you hear this, you pull off your glasses and place them in the bin provided on the side. Dave is staring at you as you turn back to him and you motion for him to put his glasses in.
“What?” he squawks.
“They’re going to break if you don’t leave them. I wouldn’t dare think you’d be so irresponsible with th- them.” You were almost going to say “with the glasses I gave you” but you stopped yourself. Well, why wouldn’t he be? They’re memorabilia and he seemed to like them a lot, no need to add that you gave them to him.
“Yeah,” he mumbles softly and pulls them off before sliding into a cart with you.
You look at Dave’s face for a few moments while waiting for all the passengers to board. You haven’t really seen his eyes before, and the intense red that they are surprises you. You’d heard of albinos having reddish pink eyes before, but this wasn’t washed out, and you knew from Dave’s blonde hair and light freckles that he wasn’t albino.
He seems to notice you’re staring at him, and he frowns before moving his face out of your line of sight. When the ride starts, his face moves back to front and center and there’s definitely high concern present. You turn your attention back to the ride and hear the slow ka-chink ka-chink as the carts are pulled up the sharp incline. With each little noise, Dave tightens his hands on the bar, blue veins standing out on the backs of them and knuckles whitening.
When you reach the top, your stomach hosts the mingling of anticipation and excitement, while the ride slowly teeters over the edge and falls.
Normally at this point, you’d scream, limbs pumped full of adrenaline, but you’re much more distracted by the expression of sheer terror on Dave’s face. In fact, it is so distracting, that you almost miss the whole ride! Hurtling sideways helps you recover from focusing on the way his eyes were flared ride, his lips pulled back from his teeth almost as if he were silently screaming. You take a moment to thank genetics that you are nearsighted.
As you ride on through and are tossed around on the track, you are torn between wanting to laugh at him, and wanting to extend an arm over and do something to... calm him. It’s mildly distressing how scared he looks. Before long, the ride is over, and you wrench your eyes from him before he can notice your scrutiny.
“So how was it?” you grin as the ride rolls to a halt and Dave’s face settles back to normal. “You looked like you were going to pee yourself.”
“Yeah. Going to wet myself out of boredom,” he throws back. His mouth is arranged in a smirk, and it would be a passable comeback, if not for his startled eyes. It was like he wasn’t used to changing them to match his expression. A pair of globes that revealed what the rest of his face was hiding. Dave quickly flipped his shades back on when he climbed out, and you follow to fish for your prescription glasses.
You make your way to the ferris wheel and sit at a picnic table nearby. Before long, the two of you are arguing about some trivial detail or another. After nearly fifteen minutes, Dave segues the conversation. “Where the hell are those two girls? Doing their nails and hair while leaving us to wait for their primped asses?” he snorts.
“I don’t think Jade even knows how to do her nails... But Rose is probably more than willing to make us wait while showing her,” you joke. Dave pretends to tap his foot impatiently, his lips pursed delicately. Delicately? Don’t you mean faux-ironically? That’s definitely it.
“Hey, wanna go on the ferris wheel while we’re waiting?” you suggest unexpectedly. You’re not even sure why you said that. The ferris wheel certainly isn’t any adventure.
Dave emulates surprise, but nods and shrugs, somehow managing to accomplish both. You both don’t even have to wait in line, the day being so late. Everyone else has gone home and the park is nearly ditched. You get in a carriage, sitting on the seat opposite Dave.
The ferris wheel isn’t supposed to be a thrill ride, but it’s somehow making your stomach curl in anticipation like any fast paced mechanism. You start to notice everything, as if something exploded inside of you. How the orange light from the sunset catches Dave’s blonde hair. How it lights up his face and you can count his freckles. How his hands are resting next to him, meant be relaxed but still slightly tense. How soft his lips look. How reality twists into Dave, Dave, Dave and just... everything about him.
What are you even thinking? you scold yourself. It’s weird, but you can’t stop. You’re trying to look away, trying to desperately think of something to say, something to relieve the oppressive silence that descended the moment you two sat down across from each other. It’s when his teeth start to lightly gnaw on his bottom lip that you can’t take it any more.
You practically jolt up and you’re leaning over Dave, pressing your lips to his, wanting to feel those soft lips against yours. It’s everything you’ve wanted in these past fleeting moments. And almost as quickly as you’re possessed by want, you rocket back, face burning red.
“S-sorry!” you sputter, embarrassed beyond belief. You cannot believe you just leaped on your best bro and... You instantly realize that that wasn’t the most surprising turn of events when Dave takes his turn and is on top of you, kissing you, grabbing your face. You pause for a second, stunned, before reciprocating, putting your arms behind his back and pulling him to you.
It’s only a few seconds before Dave pulls away, and sits down next to you. You both sit awkwardly until you squeak out. “Dave?”
“You’re not fucking with me, are you, John?” He sounds almost scared, guarded as hell. You find a light smattering of pink overlaying the freckles on his cheeks.
“Fucking with you?” You’re passing the bottom on the ferris wheel, the employee completely oblivious.
“This isn’t just some...” he trails off, obviously hesitant to finish.
“No!” you exclaim. You didn’t mean to speak quite so loud, but Dave still flinches at your loud voice.
“Then what?” he asks, tersely.
“I don’t know...” you fluster, trying to figure out what you’re thinking, trying not to say the wrong thing. “I just want to...” you trail off.
Dave sits stock still before all but growling, “Dammit.” And then he’s back, crushing your mouth against his, grabbing the back of your neck. You put up a fight, struggling for control, threading your fingers through his hair and moving your mouth against his. Your glasses and his shades clank against each other uncomfortably and you rip them off to place them next to you on the seat. The carriage on the ferris wheel rocks lightly as the two of you practically wrestle for the upper hand.
You don’t know what you’re doing but your lips open a little and you grab Dave’s lower lip in between yours and your oversized teeth. He stops a moment, obviously taken back by this bold move, before pulling back and swiping his tongue out in between your lips. You’re both being daring today.
The furious kissing dies down slowly and your and Dave’s hands relax from their death grips. The violent kisses turn into soft compressions, and then you’re lowering your face into the crook of his neck.
“John...” he breathes.
“Dave... uh...” You don’t know how to say it.
“Yes?” he asks, his voice rugged. You look up, into his eyes. There they are, still pretty and ruby red and focused intently on your face, affection laced heavily in them. They help to harden your resolve.
“Do you want to.” You stop, not sure if you can get the words out. “Go out?” Well, you apparently can.
“Yes, yes, a million times,” Dave says before he can stop himself.
“A million times?” you grin at him, very happy to be able to see everything his shades hid.
The carriage is coming around to the bottom for the second and final time. Dave and you pull your respective glasses back on again and you ready yourself to leave. He grabs your hand in the last moment and you two walk holding hands out of it. His hand is warm, soft, and reassuring that the last ten minutes really happened. Glee is busy bubbling up in your chest, the ferris wheel winning at being the most exhilarating ride all day.
When you notice Rose and Jade sitting at the same table you two had been waiting at earlier, you both pull your hands apart at the same instant. It was too late.
“So... Did anything interesting happen while we were shopping?” Jade asks while Rose smirks, their eyebrows wagging uniformly at you and Dave.