Chapter 586: +Chapter 586+
Angelo’s hair streamed through the air as a roller-coaster cart whipped past. It went up a hill and dipped into a twist at exhilarating speeds.
Neither of them made much of a sound, their faces serene as the cart did one more lap around the roller-coaster track before coming to a stop.
Both of their hair was windswept as they stepped out of the cart, dark blue and pale green coming alive as they reflected the lights of the park.
Angelo had never been to an amusement park before; the most he had gotten to experience was the run-down playgrounds in children’s parks.
But this was so much more than that. Thrill rides stood like mechanical behemoths, their colorful lights and muted jingles inviting.
Nikolai had asked him what he wanted to try first, and he had instinctively gone for the roller-coaster. Now his excited gaze scanned around and lingered on a really tall ride, pointing right at it. "Let’s try that next."
Nikolai started for the drop tower before Angelo could pull him along, his attention on the Omega, who was staring so intently at the ride, the lights reflecting the open expression on his face.
He had stumbled into the forgotten park as a kid; it had been more abandoned than rundown, and even if it hadn’t been, he had control over a Mafia House, so he could acquire it regardless.
He only ever came here alone, and the muted excitement in Angelo’s eyes reminded him of his first time here.
Nikolai hadn’t been back at the park in years. He was busy, and after the fun of the rides wore off, it was just lonely...
Angelo pushed his hair out of his face, staring up at the top of the tower. Clouds were starting to roll in, and they wouldn’t be able to stay at the park for much longer.
He sat down at Nikolai’s gesture, the Alpha’s face a little too close as he meticulously strapped him in. For a moment, Angelo thought that Nikolai planned to have him take the ride all by himself, hesitating when Nikolai walked off after strapping him in.
The rides were fully automated; no one else had access to the park save for Nikolai. After the amusement park was put back in order, the only people other than him who had been in here were the routine maintenance team.
Author’s Note: I have zero knowledge about park rides and even less about automated park rides, so ignore the fallacies and the illegal rule-breaking I did to make the scene work.
Nikolai simply turned on the key switch, pushed the dispatch button before returning to Angelo’s side to deftly get into the ride. Strapping himself down from the wrong side with fluid motions that showed he had done this so many times before.
The ride took a bit of time before it began, their seats slowly rising up the tower. As they rose higher and higher, it provided a lovely view of not just the amusement park but also some part of downtown.
Although there was little to see in the patched-up town. The amusement park looked completely out of place here, the blinding lights and upbeat music having an unreal quality to it, like it was within a dream.
Angelo looked away from the sea of lights and the dangerous darkness beyond it, turning to Nikolai to find the Alpha staring at him. "Do you come here often?"
Nikolai didn’t look away, long used to the breathtaking view. He had spent days here the first time the park was properly up and running, there had been so much open space than what he had been used to.
"Not anymore." He said wistfully, their seats almost to the top now.
His answer had Angelo doing a rethink on how long Nikolai had had a private amusement park. He stared down at the ground, he couldn’t exactly say why he wasn’t surprised about finding this out.
Angelo hadn’t been locked in a metal box for most of his childhood, but he had been kept indoors regardless. To him, amusement parks existed in a realm he could not reach.
And when he got away, he no longer remembered to look up to amusement parks, his days filled up with revenge and survivor’s guilt...
The ground underneath them seemed to glisten, reflecting the bright lights around. They were so high up, just the two of them, untouchable, soaring high.
"Angelo?"
A familiar voice broke into his thoughts, the ride had come to a brief stop at the very top. He had never been on the ride before, but he already had it figured out as soon as it began.
"Hm?" He glanced in Nikolai’s direction, hands placed lightly on the lap bar that pinned him securely to the seat.
Angelo hadn’t been expecting Nikolai to be so close, his breath catching as the Alpha closed the distance between them in a smooth move, leaving behind a gentle, chaste kiss.
He didn’t get the chance to be surprised by the sudden action, the ride kicking back into gear. The sudden drop was so startling that Angelo let out a short, high scream, recovering right away and immediately dissolving into laughter.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had gotten a harmless scare. Ever since he could remember, the threats he faced were deadly. His laughter carried on until they got down, the raspy sound filling the empty amusement park.
Nikolai didn’t notice the smile on his own face, too busy watching Angelo laugh until he gasped, completely out of breath. He really wanted them to go on the ride again, just so he could hear Angelo laugh some more.
But a drop of the lightest rain fell on his brow, it was light and cool, and it warned of the storm to come.
Angelo threw his head back against the seat, his eyes closed, smile wide. He started when he also felt a drop of rain on his face, slanted eyes wide with worry. "It’s about to rain."
Only then did Nikolai wrench his gaze away from Angelo’s flushed face, getting out of his restraints. He freed Angelo as well, noting his worried expression.
"It’s just a little rain, we’ll be fine." He muttered dryly, offering him a hand after taking off his restraints.
Angelo glanced down at the hand offered to him, looking back up at Nikolai before slotting his hand into the Alpha’s. "The car is parked miles away, and we still need to do a grocery run."
Nikolai just pulled him right into his arms, and Angelo could feel the Alpha smile in the curve of his neck.
"How fast can you run?"
The low question should have read more like a threat, but all it did was make a shiver go up Angelo’s spine. He didn’t pull away, but he leaned back so he could see Nikolai’s face.
"And what do I get when I win?" He managed to ask casually, despite how affected he was.
Nikolai somehow managed to look gentle and predatory in the increasing rain shower. In the bright lights of the amusement park, they looked more like falling glitter.
"Me in your bed," The Mafia King said magnanimously.
Angelo cocked a brow at that, he had been expecting Nikolai in his bed anyway, so that was hardly an incentive to win. "No, I want you to bring me here again."
Nikolai didn’t dispute his request, he had already planned to do that regardless.
"And if you win?" Angelo prompted, unable to hide his curiosity.
"Me in your bed." Nikolai repeated, unshakable.
Angelo hid his surprise at how simple his request was. He wondered what else he had to do to show Nikolai that the Alpha was welcome in his bed anytime he wanted. They were just sleeping anyway.
"Fine," Angelo agreed, the rain was starting to pick up the pace, and they were still standing in the middle of the amusement park, bartering over silly prizes.
He kept the pace with Nikolai as the Mafia King returned to the maintenance building to turn off the power to the park. As soon as the lights went out, the park was plunged into an even thicker darkness, made more prominent by how bright it had been only a few seconds ago.
Angelo had a difficult time adapting to the darkness, but Nikolai was already on the move, guiding him to the gates. Once again, the Mafia King held his wrist, locking the gates.
Before Nikolai could cross the street, though, he stopped him, caught the hand that held his wrist with his free hand, and quietly adjusted them so that they were holding each other instead, their hands interlocked.
Angelo didn’t point out that holding hands was kind of redundant when they were supposed to be racing each other, going along with Nikolai when the Mafia King ran across the empty street.
The increasing rain didn’t exactly provide the perfect backdrop for a conversation, Nikolai picking up the pace.
Angelo easily kept up, his long legs eating up the distance as Nikolai followed a completely different path from the one they used on their way to the park.
Nikolai knowing shortcuts didn’t come off as a surprise anymore. Two figures cutting through the darkness in sync, their silhouettes reflected by flickering streetlamps in growing puddles of water.