"This is a necessary experience." Lucian rumbled, pushing Enzo forward by his shoulders. Enzo glanced at him. The air was buzzing with laughter and had him tugging his hat lower before sidestepping away from Lucian.
"Necessary for what exactly?" Enzo muttered, his freedom of being guided was short-lived as Lucian gently caught his wrist and began walking again, tossing a grin over his shoulder.
"For living, obviously." Lucian chuckled, "You can't write songs about heartbreak and longing if you never let yourself feel anything beyond caffeine and studio lighting."
"I feel plenty," Enzo muttered dryly.
"Oh?"
"Mostly regret. Like now," Enzo rubbed a hand over his face, "I regret answering my phone."
"Tragic." Lucian gave a mock-sigh, "You're like a ghost who never learned how to haunt properly."
"Maybe I just pick my targets carefully."
Lucian let out a laugh, stopping just long enough to shoot Enzo a look that was either teasing or maybe a test. "Then pick me next time. I could use a good haunting."
Enzo raised his brows before putting his hand over Lucian's face, gently pushing him to the side with a sigh. "You're doing it again."
Lucian chuckled, swatting his hand away, "Yeah, yeah, but you almost smiled."
"When?"
"Uh…" Lucian looked around before pointing at a shooting gallery, "In just a moment!"
Enzo looked in the direction Lucian was pointing before being dragged toward the stall. Lucian paid, picking up the toy rifle with the most confident grin on his face.
Enzo tilted his head, looking between Lucian and the targets, "You're going to miss every shot."
Lucian glanced up at him from where he was leaning. "You doubt me?"
"I know you."
Lucian stared at him a moment before turning and firing. The first shot went too wide, the second ricocheted off the target, the third missed so badly that even the attendant was trying not to laugh.
Lucian sucked his teeth before exhaling dramatically. "Okay, so I was distracted."
"By what? Physics?"
Lucian leaned to the side, his gaze flicked up and down Enzo's frame before meeting his gaze. "Maybe."
Enzo's brows furrowed faintly, letting out a small cough as he shook his head. "You're insufferable." He reached down, taking the toy rifle from Lucian's hands to hand it back to the attendant.
"And yet, here you are," Lucian smirked, standing to his full height to step closer to Enzo. "Following me like it's a choice."
Enzo clicked his tongue, "Who said I followed you?" he murmured, glancing at Lucian, whose smile seemed to falter just slightly. His jaw tensed as he stepped away, putting his hand on Lucian's back to push him forward, "Lead."
Lucian chuckled faintly, walking ahead with Enzo lingering behind him, his fingers fiddling with the earbuds around his neck. Lucian eventually darted ahead, drawn to anything that shimmered or made an interesting noise. Enzo sighed, sliding his hands into his pockets as he observed Lucian.
Lucian eventually spotted something he found even more interesting than the shimmering mirrors spinning around the pathways and approached a vendor selling glitter cotton candy in a shaded area of the park.
"You think it's edible?" Lucian asked, holding a stick of it up.
Enzo squinted through his sunglasses, "I think it's radioactive."
"That's half the fun," Lucian said, taking a bite of the sugary concoction. He immediately gagged, "Okay, that's definitely not food."
Enzo snorted. "Congratulations. You've discovered that glitter is, in fact, not meant to be eaten."
Lucian laughed, shaking his head before holding the stick out toward Enzo. "You try it."
"How about no?"
"Oh, come on. One bite, for… Art."
"For art?"
"You're always saying that everything can be inspiration." Lucian chuckled, "Consider this an act of creative suffering."
Enzo watched him for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. He eventually took a small bite, and his face scrunched up at the texture and horrendous taste. Lucian lifted his free hand to cover the smirk that appeared on his face.
"It's disgusting."
"I know." Lucian chuckled. "But at least you're here."
Enzo watched him silently, looking him over before plucking the stick from his hand, promptly dropping it into a trash bin nearby. He shook his head before attempting to walk away; however, Lucian took his arm and began walking once again.
They walked for a while, Enzo uninterested in trying anything that involved movement, Lucian just fascinated by the variety of people wandering about. Eventually, they came to a rest area on the edge of the park, and Enzo took the opportunity to sit down on one of the benches.
Lucian chuckled, settling next to him, stretching out while he watched the sunset behind the Ferris Wheel. "Do you ever think about what comes after all of this?"
"All of what?"
"The tours, the band, the fame… When everyone just stops caring?"
Enzo tilted his head onto his hand, looking at him. "You think that'll happen?"
"Everything ends eventually." Lucian gave a small smile. "Even stars burn out."
Enzo stayed silent for a moment, watching Lucian survey the park's younger generation of new artists before finally replying. "Some just change form."
Lucian glanced at him, chuckling softly. "That's poetic."
"It's true."
Lucian snorted, his lips twitching slightly before rolling his head back. "You say things like that, looking at me like that, and then wonder why people write fan theories about us."
Enzo scoffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest. "People write theories about you because you encourage it."
"Maybe I like the mystery."
"No." Enzo shook his head. "You like to be seen."
Lucian snorted, watching the lights twirl around them. Shaking his head as he rested his chin on his palm. "You see too much."
"That's your fault," Enzo snorted, shaking his head. "You never stop showing."
Lucian leaned forward with his hands on his thighs, "Alright, let's go."
"Go where?"
Lucian stood up, offering his hand, "Trust me."
Enzo glanced between his face and his hand before sighing, lifting a hand to take it. Rolling his eyes as Lucian dragged him around the park: an arcade, a carousel, and the mirror maze. Enzo just followed along, silently observing everything.
Eventually, Lucian stopped and backed up, staring at a ring toss game. He smiled and tugged Enzo towards it. He paid and picked up one of the rings, spinning it around his fingers. "Okay. If I win this, you owe me something."
Enzo raised a brow, eyeing him skeptically. "Like what?"
"Hm… I'll decide later."
"That's dangerous."
"Well, so am I," Lucian teased, tossing the ring. It landed perfectly around the neck of the bottle, and Lucian turned with a triumphant smirk.
Enzo shook his head, running a hand over his face, "Show-off."
Lucian took a few more shots at tossing the rings before eventually getting a little stuffed whale from the attendant. He held it out to Enzo as they walked away from the stall. "Here. To commemorate your suffering."
Enzo glanced between the whale and Lucian, "Why are you giving me your prize?"
Lucian shrugged. "Call it a trade. You did give me company."
Enzo eyed Lucian, "Not by choice." He sighed, gently taking the stuffed toy, running a thumb across the stitching.
"And yet you're still here," Lucian chuckled. "Anyway, come on." He reached back, grabbing Enzo's free wrist, and began walking back to where they'd split off from the group. "Let's get back before they think we got lost."
Enzo sighed, following along. "Maybe we did," he murmured, shaking his wrist free to walk beside Lucian. "Why a whale?"
Lucian chuckled, glancing at him with a grin. "I thought it fit."