The vendor at the food stall handed Luca a tray of fries and two drinks, and he paid before Elaine could even react.
"Hey, wait. I said I was buying you something awful as a prize."
"Right." Luca lifted the tray with one hand above her head. "This is it."
"Wow," Elaine gave a humorous roll of her eyes, "The chivalry is overwhelming."
"I call it self-preservation." Luca snorted, walking ahead of her, "While we were standing there, you looked two seconds away from trying the corn dogs, and I'm not emotionally prepared for that outcome."
"You're dramatic."
"You have no idea."
Elaine watched Luca for a moment before pushing her sunglasses up onto her head. "You're seriously trusting fries from a place where the soda machine's older than I am?"
"You'd be surprised what I've trusted before," Luca murmured dryly.
"I don't think that's the reassurance that you think it is."
Luca glanced over his shoulder at her, one brow raised. A faint ghost of amusement flickered across his face as he gestured to a table. "What, you've never lived dangerously?"
Elaine slowly sat on the bench across from him, tilting her head to the side. "Does eating gas station sushi count?"
Luca blinked, pausing mid-motion to sit down, "...You did not."
"I did." Elaine nodded, holding her drink in her hands. "It was a dare during my first year of college… I regretted everything immediately."
Luca slowly sat down, exhaling through his nose while shaking his head. "I think… That explains a lot, actually."
"Oh?"
"Well, you've got the drive of someone who's survived something tragic." He joked.
"And you don't?"
Luca paused, his fingers wrapping around his drink, and he shrugged, lifting it. "Mine's just better hidden."
Elaine blinked before taking a sip of her drink, "You don't actually hate this, do you?"
Luca blinked, holding a fry between his fingers. "The park?"
"All of it." Elaine chuckled, "The noise, the people, the fun."
"Hm." Luca ate the fry, tapping his fingers on the table, "Hate's a strong word… I just…" He slowly picked up his drink, "I don't fit into it."
Elaine blinked, spinning her drink with her fingers. "You don't have to."
Luca blinked at her, his brows raised. She picked up a fry, "I mean… Not everyone is built for it. You can be here and still be… You."
Luca leaned on his elbow, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her for a moment. "You say that like you've figured it out."
"I'm still working on it." Elaine chuckled.
Luca hummed faintly, eating another fry as he observed the people around them for a moment before speaking again. "You know, you're quieter than I expected."
"You expected me?" Elaine teased.
Luca gave her a flat look before leaning back, staring at the sky. "Lucian talks, Enzo observes, Rylan yells, Casen… Well, Casen exists loudly… And you… You just listen."
"And is that a bad thing?"
"Well, no…" Luca murmured, picking up another fry.
Elaine gave a soft smile, picking up a fry herself. "You're not what I expected either."
"Oof… Good or bad?" Luca inquired.
Elaine glanced up, meeting his gaze. "I'm still deciding."
Luca blinked before laughing slightly, resting his chin on his hand. "Fair. I wouldn't recommend making that decision today anyway. I'm on my best behavior."
"This is your best?"
Luca clicked his tongue, giving a faint smirk. "Terrifying, right?"
Elaine paused before laughing, leaning back for a moment. She shook her head, reaching for her drink when a few musicians looked over, whispering. Luca straightened his posture, slowly sliding the hood of his jacket up over his head.
Elaine blinked, watching him for a moment, "Do you always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Hide when people notice you…"
Luca took a moment, his previous smile gone as he lifted his drink. "When you get watched for long enough, it stops feeling like attention and starts feeling like exposure."
Elaine paused, taking a sip of her drink. "I think that's the first honest thing you've said all day."
Luca blinked, glancing up at her. "I've been honest the whole time."
"No." Elaine shook her head, smiling slightly. "You've been clever. There's a difference."
Luca stared at her before his brows furrowed. "...You're trouble, you know that?"
"How so?" Elaine gave a mock gasp, "For noticing you?"
"For noticing too much."
Elaine squinted at him for a moment, shaking her head as she ate a fry, amused. "So… philosopher and poet. Should I be concerned?"
Luca snorted, taking a sip of his drink. "Only if I start quoting myself."
"God forbid." Elaine laughed.
Luca chuckled lightly, finishing the last of his fries as he looked up at the colorful sky above.
"You realize you've survived an entire afternoon of this nightmare, right?"
Luca gave a humorous roll of his eyes. "Barely."
"That still counts."
Luca watched her for a moment as she collected their trash, keeping his chin resting on his hand. "I guess there are worse ways to spend the day."
"Admit it." Elaine gave a faint grin, "You had fun."
Luca gave her a sideways glance, "I tolerated existence in a colorful environment."
"Uh-huh." Elaine clicked her tongue, "Translation: you had fun."
Luca rolled his eyes, slowly standing up from where he had been half sprawled on the bench. "You're relentless."
"And you're stubborn."
Luca snorted, walking ahead with her, following him just a step behind. She tapped his shoulder as they were passing by a souvenir stall, "Wait here."
Luca blinked, watching her take something off a rack and pay before returning. She gave a grin, holding up a glittery, neon-pink keychain shaped like a smiling sun.
"...That's hideous."
"Told you I'd find you the worst souvenir." She chuckled, putting it in his hand.
Luca stared at it for a moment before giving a faint chuckle, slipping it into his pocket. "Guess I can't argue with that."
"Nope." Elaine snickered. "It's yours now."
Luca glanced at her, lifting a hand to flick her sunglasses off the top of her head over her eyes. He snorted as she scrambled faintly at the ambush.