Orion stared in awe at the amusement park in front of him. He had never seen anything like it - the large metal structures and moving pieces of every little ride like some kind of magical world. Unable to stop staring, he had to be tugged by the hand by the older girl, who, above all, had her goal on him surviving through the experience. It wasn't as easy as it sounded, especially when he kept trying to trail off. Only when she forcibly wrapped his arms around hers did he seem to pay attention.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled nervously, darting his eyes away bashfully, "I just got so excited. I'll stick close. I promise."

The amusement park was barely crowded, contrary to what she thought. Perhaps it was because it was winter and snowing a bit, but, still, they weren't alone. Orion specified he wanted it that way. He wanted the full experience, even if he had both the power and the wealth to rent the entire place out, or buy it, even. Strangely, the male loved people. He wanted to talk with strangers and become friends however he possibly could, but, while he admired the people around him, he didn't talk to them. Instead, his attention turned to (Y/n) as they began walking around.

"Do you like rides?" he asked eagerly, pointing to all the different ones he could see, "Which one is your favorite?"

"Well, I wouldn't know. I haven't been to one of these either."

"Oh, that's right, but what do you want to go on first? We can walk around and take pictures or go to the petting zoo or we can start playing on rides. We can also play games, too, so whatever you want to do, I'd love to do it, too!"

The orange-haired male bounced in anticipation at her answer. He wondered a bit more about her, especially all the little things. Of course, it was his goal to know about her favorite things and even become one of them, but it was better to start out slow. That was everyone else's advice, and he planned on taking it. Still, he was vaguely aware that she was trying to keep a lot of distance between them. He wondered why. After all, it wasn't as if he was a mean or rude person. He'd always thought he was nice. That was what everyone told him, but maybe he just needed to be nicer.

She didn't really respond to him about where she wanted to go. They just started walking until, inevitably, he got distracted by something. The first time, it was the mascot characters. He wasn't entirely sure whether they were cute or horrifying, but he enjoyed staring all the same. The second time, it was a bunch of people zooming past on a roller coaster. He blinked at it a few times before suddenly catching their contagious joy, bouncing up and down in excitement. It seemed so fun, albeit similarly as terrifying as the mascots.

The first thing they actually started doing was going to the petting zoo. There weren't a lot of animals in the palace anymore, especially not ones as fluffy as the sheep the male could not step hugging. Though his cousin loved animals, when he left to go abroad, all of his pets came with him, except for the butterfly garden their grandmother had gifted him. Orion was typically prevented from getting close to any animal, really. His body was so weak, they didn't want to test him being allergic to anything. But, as he kept petting and cooing at the animals, it didn't seem like he had any allergies. It was a bittersweet revelation.

Orion noticed that the (h/c) haired girl actively avoided the animals. Though they would attempt to go on up to her, she just nudged them away gently, but it was obvious she didn't hate them. She would stare at them almost sadly before putting distance between them. Even when the orange-haired male tried holding up a bunny to her, she just looked the other way, crossing her arms. A flicker of a frown appeared on the boy's face, but he was quick to smile again and go back to playing with the other animals. He didn't realize that she enjoyed watching him.

Nonetheless, he started trying a little harder to get her to open up to him. He would go around, trying everything he could, especially trying to jumpstart a conversation. Still, she remained unphased, as if she was only there as a favor to Verona. And when he started to give up, going on the rollercoaster, things became a little different.

Since he could remember, Orion had always wanted to go on a rollercoaster. His cousins told him all about them, showing him pictures and demonstrating how they would scream and laugh at the feeling. That was why he wanted to go. They made it look like the funnest thing in the world, and he didn't want to die without going on one. What he didn't know was that he felt like he was dying the entire time on it.

Confident that he would love rides, the male proceeded to claim that he wanted to go on the fastest one. Coincidentally, it was also the tallest one. And the loopiest one. And other things, too. About a second after the coaster had jolted forward to begin, he began clinging onto it for dear life. And then he started crying. And then the older girl, too, was subject to his immense fear, being held tightly. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the vehicle, so he just had to get through it.

Even after they got off the ride, he pretty much collapsed, and, regrettably, threw up. It was mortifying for him. He thought it was over. But it seemed she took it a different way. Unbothered by him becoming very ill, she just lingered around him, bringing him water and having him sit down. And though he was flaring red, she didn't seem to think it was a big deal. It was more or less expected.

"Are you feeling dizzy at all?"

"N-No, just...," the male stuttered, trailing off softly as he clenched the water cup in his hands, "I want to go back."

"No, you don't. Just rest for a bit, let your embarrassment fizzle out, and try some other things."

"But - "

"I want to try some food. Mostly cotton candy. I've never had that, but it's like fluffy sugar, right? So, I need it."

Orion blushed. She was trying to spare his feelings. The girl would have been fine to go back to the mansion. After all, with Haru's power, she could probably have put a stick of cotton candy in her hands within five minutes. But she wanted him to enjoy his time in the amusement park. He likely wouldn't ever come back to one, too, so it made it all the more special.

She wasn't as cold as she tried to be, he realized. He noticed the same when they, instead, tried a different ride. It wasn't a roller coaster since he realized he had a fear he never knew about in them. Rather, it was a spinning ride where a passenger could control how fast they spun. She never touched it. She just encouraged Orion to spin it however much or little he wanted. He remained on the latter side, but he did notice that she definitely stared a bit at the people going very fast. The male tried to go fast for her, but she stopped him, claiming she didn't like it.

Orion felt warm inside. After that ride, they started talking. Mostly, it was him, but she would throw in a few of her opinions, too. He got to learn about her favorite animals, fruits, and all kinds of other things. And though she avoided answering questions about her favorite foods, as she picked up different snacks, he noticed they were all sweet. In particular, she seemed to really enjoy caramel apples. She offered him some, too.

"N-No, I'm really okay."

"You should have some. You'll love it. Besides, you still need to gain weight, you know."

"Yes, but I..."

The male could no longer reject her offer when she was so adamant about him taking it. Taking a small bite, the boy began to shiver a bit as he tasted it. He gave a bright smile to the girl and told her it was delicious. Still, when she offered more, he said he was full in a high-pitched voice. He went on to drink as much water as possible before they went back out to go to other attractions, just not roller coasters.

In general, no matter how tame the ride was, Orion was still overly excited by them. He wasn't used to being in a car, much less something with the sole purpose of mindlessly moving him around. Still, he did enjoy them, just perhaps a little more tamely than most people. At times, he even had to cling onto the older girl, if only to keep himself calm. Regardless, it wasn't as if he hated that. In fact, he really liked being able to do that. It wasn't often he got to touch her or be so close.

"That was my favorite," the male enthused, putting his hands in the air with excitement before running back into the line again, "Let's do that again."

"I really didn't think you would be so interested once you actually went on these."

"Well, wouldn't you be excited about something you were never allowed to do?"

The girl gave a strange look, thinking, while the boy assessed her curiously. She took a conflicted stance with that, but he didn't know why. From what he knew of her, it was obvious she was very restrained as a child. She probably didn't have a good relationship with her parents either, considering how quickly attached she became to his mother. So, he would have thought, like him, she would have wanted to make up for lost time rather than leaving it lost. But, perhaps not.

"I've never been allowed to go anywhere without guards," the male hummed, offering up an example, "So I think, when you steal me, it's very exciting. Of course, it's scary, too, but I'm glad I tried it."

"Well, I was never allowed to jump off a bridge. I don't necessarily want to try."

"What about trying cotton candy? You've never had it before. Wasn't it exciting?"

The girl paused. She wanted to deny his theory, especially since she preferred safety over spontaneous decisions. Still, she did enjoy the cotton candy and she did enjoy the rides. Even though one of the two held potential danger, she did enjoy it. She couldn't help but smile and nod along, the boy brightening up when she started agreeing with him. Eagerly, he held onto her hands and rocked back and forth playfully.

"See? So, we should try new things together. I've pretty much done nothing, so we can do whatever you want first. Have you ever gone to the beach before?"

"Yes, but only really staring at it from a cliff. I've never gone swimming at the beach."

"Then we can do that! In Vethela, we have a private beach! Let's go together!"

She didn't agree to the plans, but she did smile. Orion was happy to have something new to do with her. Both of their stifled childhoods seemed to be a point of commonality. And though it wasn't fun to think about all the things they missed, it was the opposite to think of things they could do for the first time. He hoped she would see it that way, too. In fact, he hoped she would begin to open up to him in regards to that. Maybe then he could surprise her by taking something she said in passing and making it come true for her.

"Do you have anything on your bucket list?"

"No. I just try to stay alive every day. But I guess I want to accomplish something impressive, maybe at work."

"That's right! You work! That's amazing. You're my age but you're already a bigshot in Mr. Akahito's company. How did you do it?"

"Um, nepotism."

"Nepo...Nepotism. Does that mean you were the best person that applied?"

"It means that I kiss his son."

Orion didn't understand. It was a bit strange that he didn't understand words like that and that he had a very basic understanding of politics. And while she could believe it was because he was too sick to study for long, it was probably more accurate that he wasn't interested. It was most likely because he was very adverse to fighting. He liked peace more. Though, if he liked peace that much, he should have learned politics, if only to learn ways to advocate for it. Then again, he had plenty of capable people around him.

It suited the orange-haired male to have fun rather than to be taken advantage of for the times he was healthy. In order to keep being healthy, after all, he needed to smile a lot. That was probably what Verona was getting at, asking her to take him to an amusement park. And while there was only so much they could do at once without him getting tired, even when they were sitting, he was more than content to look at the sights. And when he kept staring at the games, she decided it was time to try one.

Truth be told, she tried very hard to find a game that he could play himself. Most required physical movement, of which she wanted to avoid, since he was getting tired. They did manage to find a few luck-based games, but he failed miserably at them. Though he asked to play again and again, he kept losing. The games were always rigged. He just didn't know that yet, so he had to be pried away before he kept crushing his own hopes.

"But I wanted to win," he pouted, staring longingly back at the game, "If I just spend enough, I would have won eventually."

"Well, they might have given you something small just so you would keep spending money."

"Wouldn't they just give it to me because I finally got it? Statistically - "

"They're not that nice. It might not be the same, but I've had experience with street games. They're rigged. Always."

Orion looked disheartened. He probably wasn't used to being tricked like that, but it was something he needed to get used to as soon as possible. The male kept asking questions about how they could do that, but she just claimed there were always people willing to pay for something or other. Along the way, he became quiet, probably upset that someone would do something like that, so she thought to, at the very least, put his mind back on fun. He tilted his head in confusion when she stopped in front of another game.

"You're playing?" he questioned, tugging on her sleeve, "But you said it was rigged. You won't win."

"Some games can be tampered with."

"You mean cheat?! You can't...do that."

"Watch."

The game was a simple one; one they probably had at most amusement parks. All she had to do was knock down a few pins with two balls. Most people probably lost, but she, despite never having played it before, knew she could win. The person who ran the stall, Brice, even let her stand closer, not that it mattered. She had enough strength to do it easily. And, just as she thought, she didn't need the second ball. She just threw it hard enough at the right angle and she won a teddy bear. Of course, it was cheaply made, less than what she had paid to play the game, but Orion was more than delighted to receive it from her.

"You did it!" he enthused, holding up the plushy in absolute surprise, "How?!"

"I'm just strong, I guess."

Orion took a bit to let that sink in before he hid behind the teddy bear and flared red. She was strong, and he was super attracted to that. And as she went on to win a few other things for him, shoving prizes in his arms, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He'd always been in awe of people like her that could do whatever they set their minds to. If only he could be like that. The prince could do more than just walk on his own feet. Maybe he could even learn to run or sprint. When he was with (Y/n), he felt like he could do anything.

With a full heart, he could no longer wait, latching onto the girl and asking shyly to go onto the ferris wheel. That was supposed to be the moment when their date came to a peak. It was going to be romantic beyond anything he had ever experienced, and, if she felt the same...Orion squeezed a little tighter onto her as they boarded the ferris wheel. He positioned his stuffed animals on both sides of him, the older girl smiling at his delicate care for them. The male took that as a good sign, fiddling nervously.

 "Are you afraid of heights?" she questioned, "We probably should have figured that out before we came on here, but - "

"No, I'll be fine. The castle is pretty high up over the sea, so I'm used to it. Are you?"

"Well, I used to live on a mountain."

"Really? Was there a village?"

"No. It was just me and my father. Other people came sometimes, but they always...left."

Orion's eyes softened as hers did, too. He could feel the pain in her voice when she spoke about her past. It wasn't anything new, aside from the fact that she was talking about it in the first place. He was happy about that, but it wasn't the same about the sadness. The male felt a bit like crying, if only because her emotions affected him, too. She was so happy before then. He wanted to just ignore her sadness and fill her up with joy instead. And yet, he put that aside and tilted his head, confused.

"You're unhappy," he hummed, pointing out the obvious, "It feels like...just when you start to open up to me or have fun, all of a sudden, you remind yourself that you can't enjoy yourself. Am I...wrong?"

The girl chuckled, but it was humorless. He was right. Every time she saw him, she was reminded of the thing she had always struggled to run away from the most; her own biology. Of course, unlike many others, she was able to break out of the mold, if only because she was a special form of halfbreed. Despite that, she still feared, if she was around others like her, she would be sucked back into it, subject to any of the numerous things stronger beings wanted to do to her.

"When it comes down to it, I'm just trying to live. If that means being cautious - "

"There's a difference between being cautious and being miserable," A pause. "Sorry for interrupting. I just know what it's like being forced into being cautious. I don't think it was worth it, personally."

"At least you're alive."

"Mhm. So are you, Miss Shiratori. I think you forget that sometimes."

"It can change in the blink of an eye. Just because I'm fine now doesn't mean I will be tomorrow."

"But you have Mister Haru on your side. I can tell how much he likes you and that he'll protect you no matter what."

"That doesn't mean he'll keep liking me."

"That's funny. Even I can tell his feelings won't change. And, you know...I'm the same. I also cherish Miss Shiratori. A whole lot. I can help protect you, too."

The girl paused, darting her eyes away. She didn't believe it. About Haru, she wanted to put her trust in him remaining by her side for the rest of her life, but she kept a bit of cautiousness nonetheless. It was always good to weigh her options. She thought that, and yet, she could not deny the irony in her putting distance between herself and Orion. He was also an option. It just...seemed like a last resort at the moment.

"You had fun today," the male beamed, kicking his legs excitedly as he recalled the things they did together, "Even though you never did any of that stuff before, you were happy."

"...So?"

"So you can put your fears aside and live in the moment. I think you should do it more. Even if it's a short life, it's better to have gone out with a smile on your face than try and prolong it. I wish someone had let me do that."

(Y/n) softened a bit. Not completely did she lower her guard or accept his argument, but she did understand him. Her father had always tried to confine her to one place to ensure she was alive, but, in the process, she only became miserable. She didn't get to play with toys and she didn't get to make friends. The only thing she could do was wait for him. She supposed that was what Orion must have felt like, confined to his bed and isolated from the rest of the world. A sigh escaped her before she talked again.

"I'm letting you."

"Hm?"

"I'm letting you have fun and live your life. Just...remember that."

"'Course!"

"And remember that you owe me a favor for that. You can pay me back tomorrow. I'm going to take you somewhere."

"Ah, really? Where?!"

"I can't tell you yet. Just think of it as a surprise."

Orion beamed in joy, hugging one of the stuffed animals at his side. He wore his heart on his sleeve, able to be read simply. She guessed she liked that about him, among other things. The male went on to talk about her childhood, a topic she didn't very much enjoy. And yet, despite her bitter feelings with it, he managed to turn it into something worthwhile. When she stated her inability to travel away from home, the male asked where she wanted to go. His happiness was contagious, even if he was just sitting there, listening. In the end, she found herself smiling with him though she tried to hide it.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed," he giggled, lowering her hand from her face, "Miss Shiratori's smile is the best! I wish I could see it all the time!"

"That might be hard."

"S-So, it's possible, right? Then, everyday, I'll make you smile at least once! That way, you can see how much better it is to be happy, even if you have to be vulnerable, too."

"You," a pause, the older girl darting her eyes away as she realized how close he was to her without even realizing it, "You have a way with people, don't you?"

"You think so? Maybe I'm just excited. I think I can be really shy sometimes, too."

"You weren't shy when you made everyone in the mansion fall at your feet. So many of them came up to me last night, asking if they could do anything for you. I wonder how you manage to do it."

"But I was just being nice. After all, they were the ones that kept you safe and sound for quite a while, right? I'm a bit jealous!"

She chuckled, seeing the gleam in his eye. Momentarily, she considered the fact that he was bewitching her, but he wasn't the same kind as her. An earth elemental didn't have the power to hypnotize on command. Lowering her guard at that fact, she chose to give into all the smiles and laughter that being near the male brought her. He was similar, in ways, to what she was trying to avoid, but, the fact of the matter was that he retained his own personality in her presence. That in itself was a stark difference. As a result, she started to tolerate him, even like him a bit past her adoration for his mother or her hatred for his guard.

And though, in the end, Orion never got the kiss that he was hoping for, he left with something a bit better; her trust. She opened up to him a little more and began speaking with him about all kinds of things. He got to know all about her, just as he wished, and, as they rode back, it did not stop. They talked and talked as long as possible until they arrived back, and, even then, they talked. Excited to continue their conversations, Orion got up bright and early to meet (Y/n) first, only to find he had walked in on Haru throwing glass at a visitor. The prince had never seen him that mad, not even when Presley had arrested him.

"Knock it off!" (Y/n) scolded, holding the brunette back and failing, "Give him a chance to speak!"

Though the prince didn't know what was happening, confused and frightened, the brunette's parents suddenly arrived. His mother, in particular, stared at the visitor with an indescribable sadness. Collapsing in her husband's arms, she wept, only solidifying Haru's ire. He shouted threats of all kind, promising to torture the male standing at the door to death. And then the unthinkable happened. His father slapped him for the first time in his life, rendering the male silent and shocked before he asked the boy his name. A frail voice came out, shivering and trembling as he fiddled nervously with his glasses.

"I-I...I'm Enmei Gaius."