...

..

.

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

"Oh. My. Gosh!" I exclaim in awe, feeling a wide smile on my face as I take in the sight.

I stood at the entrance of the Redshore Carnival, the entrance a large, colorful sign with the lettering flashing with neon colors. A long line of people trailed behind me, Johnny receiving our wristbands from the ticket booth clerk.

The carnival itself was bustling with people, some wearing silly headbands and other merchandise from the booths and others carrying stuffed animals and other prizes they've won.

Music played loudly throughout the area, children's laughter and idle conversations mixed with this as the different carnival games made their own mechanical sounds as well.

I wore a (color) (shirt), along with a (skirt/pair of pants) and had a small satchel hanging on my shoulder. Johnny wore a pair of black jeans with white shoes, and had a dark navy blue short sleeved shirt on. He left his usual leather jacket back at the hotel due to the warm temperature, not wanting to have to carry it around.

"Does this make up for yesterday?" Johnny playfully questions as he joins me, bumping his elbow lightly against my side with a grin.

"Definitely," I reply with a happy chuckle, my eyes shifting away from the carnival to meet Johnny's as I hold out my arm to him. "I honestly didn't think we'd even have time to have any fun while we were here. I missed you."

Johnny's brows furrow at this as he smiles, looping the wristband around my wrist. "Missed me? We practice together every day, love."

His tone is a teasing one, his hands lingering on my arm for a moment before he focuses on trying to put his own wristband on.

"Yes, but," I start, leaning over and pressing a light kiss to his cheek before pulling back. "We haven't really been able to spend time together alone. It's been work, work, work. It's been tiring, huh?"

I take over for him, holding the wristband with both hands and looping it on his wrist.

"... I missed you, too," Johnny says warmly, catching my hand and intertwining our fingers together before planting a lingering kiss on the back of my hand. "Now, why don't we go and have a bit of fun for a change? No thinking about the show, or about Buster and the whole Calloway business."

"All right," I promise, nodding with a small grin.

Satisfied, Johnny tries to take a step forward, only to be tugged back lightly by my hand around his. He looks back over his shoulder with a questioning frown, tilting his head.

"As long as you don't worry about Big Nose and his son," I add on, giving him a pointed look. "I know they've taken their toll on you, and I'm worried about how it's been affecting you."

Johnny listens with a frown, his eyes shifting to the side briefly. He clears his throat, smiling brightly as he turns back to me.

"I'm fine, (Y/N). But okay, I promise," he reassures with a nod, squeezing my hand.

"Johnny—" I start in a warning tone as he assures me he's fine, yelping as he starts tugging me along with a chuckle.

"Come on, love! I already see something I want to try!"

His voice was full of excitement, eyes shining with a child-like wonder as we walk hand in hand through the fun filled carnival. Children's laughter echoed with the silly music as parents and friends spoke with one another, a cobblestone path leading to different areas with some grass along them.

I was surprised at how much green there was in the area, since it was in a large city. But there were trees and benches scattered around, and plenty of flower bushes and other plants in the grass along the paths.

In the center of the carnival was a small pond area, some ducks quacking as they swim around and eat away at the feed provided by friendly park workers.

"Are you hungry?"

Johnny's question brings my attention from the crowd to him, a content smile on his face as he tilts his head.

I hum in thought, slowly shaking my head after a moment. "Not really at the moment, no. But we can go see what's over there for later?"

I suggest with a smile, making Johnny nod as he looks up at the helpful street like signs that pointed to separate areas of the carnival.

"Usually I'd be worried if you didn't want to eat, but we did have a big breakfast at that little Breakfast Inn," he mumbles to himself, leading me down one of the stone paths towards the small food court area.

The smell of popcorn fills my nose almost instantly, multiple different food scents following suit and bringing a grin to my face.

"Wow," Johnny voices what I was thinking myself, looking around in awe with wide eyes. "This is in-credible," he drags the last word, happiness practically radiating off him.

His joy was contagious, a small laugh escaping me as I watch him.

It's almost like he's never been...

My thoughts pause, my face falling a bit in realization.

"Johnny... is this the first time you've been to a carnival?"

Johnny turns to me, his smile twitching downward for a moment before he awkwardly smiles once more with a sheepish laugh.

"Yeah, I suppose it is," he admits with a small shrug, scratching at a nonexistent itch on the back of his head. "I mean, I've been to one. Once. When I was... maybe four or five. Long time ago."

He looks down, his brows furrowed together sadly as I watch with concern.

I... hope I didn't bring up bad memories.

Of course I did. Look at his face!

He looks like a kicked puppy.

"Johnny?"

"Hmm?" Johnny quickly perks up, a tight smile on his face. "Oh— I'm fine. Sorry, I... never mind that."

I open my mouth to question him, but stop myself.

If he wanted to talk about it, he would. I shouldn't pry too much. He'll tell me when he's ready.

"All right," I speak softly, looping my arm around his and offering him a smile. "If you're sure. Come on, let's go try some games."

If he still looks down later... I'll ask if he's all right again.

Johnny lights up, nodding with a soft laugh as I start leading him towards the variety of carnival games. He still looks a bit lost in thought, but a content smile lingered on his face.

...

"Look there!" I exclaim giddily, spotting a bunch of different stuffed animals hanging up along the top of a booth. "There's so many, and they're all so cute!"

"Hmm, there is quite a lot," Johnny thoughtfully murmurs, rubbing his chin. "Must mean not many people win this game."

My smile falls a bit, realizing he's probably right. As I go to turn to him, one of the prizes catches my attention.

"Oh, my gosh! A gorilla plush!" I shake Johnny's arm rapidly in excitement, making him let out a string of incoherent sounds of protest. "I've got to have him, Johnny."

Johnny snickers a bit, "I could buy you a better one from Build-A-Bear, love."

"No, it has to be him!" I shake my head, pointing to the gorilla with a mock pout. "Look at him! He's all alone and sad! We have to save him. It is our duty to."

All right, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. But...

Johnny's mouth quirks up as he lets out a laugh, shaking his head in amusement with a fond look in his eyes.

Hearing his laugh is worth it.

"Well, that is a ve-ry noble duty," Johnny plays along, nodding with a serious expression. "We must save him."

We both smile a moment later to one another, walking over to the booth. The man running it seemed bored, sitting on a stool and leaning an elbow on the counter with his chin resting on his palm as he scrolled on his phone.

The sign along the front of the booth stated:

Knock down the Milk Bottles!

$1 per play

No refunds

"Hello sir," Johnny greets the man, offering a polite smile. "One ball , please."

The man looks up with a short sigh, clicking his phone off and slapping on a fake smile. "Welcome! Try your luck at this game for just one dollar. Not many folks have been able to knock all three bottles down, but you might be lucky enough to-ooo!"

He finishes his sentence with jazz hands, his forced enthusiastic voice dull and lifeless.

Johnny and I slowly blink, our eyes darting to side eye one another. A few moments pass, idle chatter in the background.

"... Look, are ya gonna play or what?" the man finally asks, sighing in exasperation. "I go on break soon."

Johnny silently hands him two one dollar bills, the man taking them and handing each of us one softball.

The man grumbles under his breath as he sits back down with a huff, stuffing the money away and going back on his phone as he flips a small switch.

"... Did it take everything in you not to laugh at him, too?" I whisper to Johnny, making him snort quietly and elbow my arm lightly.

The booth comes to life with music and some lights, a spotlight shining on the stacks of milk bottles a few feet from us.

"Huh," Johnny tosses the ball a few inches up, catching it and weighing it in his hand. "Kind of soft for knocking down bottles, no?"

"Yeah," I nod, rolling my shoulder lightly and stretching my arm out. "It's to make it harder to win. Most games are rigged in places like this. Sometimes the bottom bottles are even filled with something to make them heavier and harder to knock over."

Johnny looks towards the silver milk bottles, his brows furrowed lightly as he frowns.

"And see this?" I toss and catch the ball, weighing it in my hand like he did. "These softballs are really light. Might have cork in it to make them softer and lighter. Making it even harder to knock the bottles down."

Johnny makes a small sound of acknowledgment and surprise, looking down at the ball. "Then... how are we supposed to win?"

"You guys playing or not?" the man again questions, glancing up from his phone.

"He paid, didn't he?" I question back, making the man hum with a light eye roll before he focuses on his phone.

I turn back to Johnny, continuing my explanation.

"So, you have to look for a weak point. If you're lucky enough, there is one," I conclude, eyeballing the milk bottles with squinted eyes.

I sigh deeply, winding my arm back before throwing the ball with a light grunt. The ball strikes the bottom right bottle of the stack of three, striking it down with a clinking sound. The top bottle falls off as well, but the one on the left remains standing after wobbling suspiciously for a moment.

"Dang. They are filled with something," I sigh in disappointment, pouting as I stand upright and look up at the plush. "You can tell by how it rocked before settling."

"I'm sorry," Johnny apologizes with a quiet laugh, still clasping the softball in front of him. "Then the whole strategy won't work, will it?"

"Nope," I sigh once more, shaking my head. "The softballs are too soft, unfortunately."

"And I don't suppose just throwing it will do?"

"Well... I guess you could just use raw strength. If you can't find a good spot to hit, a great force would work," I slowly reply, looking up in thought with a nod. "I imagine it'd take a lot to knock them all down, though. To make up for the softness of the softball, you'd need to really—"

Before I could finish my sentence, a softball whirls past me and strikes the milk bottles stacked on the left side.

The three bottles clatter about with a loud bang, falling off the table one by one. The man shrieks in surprise as he jumps, his phone flailing up as he comically tries to catch it multiple times.

I slowly turn to Johnny with a shocked look, still holding my ball in my hand as my brow twitches. His arm was outstretched, expression focused as he exhales through his mouth quietly before grinning.

Johnny smiles kindly at the worker, "The gorilla plush, please."

The man says nothing, his eyes wide and mouth agape as he frantically grabs the plush and shoves it into Johnny's awaiting hands.

"Wh—" I start, looking from Johnny to the milk bottles, then back to him, then the gorilla plush outstretched towards me. "How..."

I take the plush, looking up at Johnny in awe as I hug it to my chest. We start walking away from the booth, me still looking up at him with wide eyes, my mouth parted slightly with awe.

"How did you do that?" I question with shock, blinking rapidly as I shake my head. "I mean— the amount of force necessary— how..."

Johnny's cheeks flush a soft shade of pink as he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sweetheart, you... you do know I've been working out every day since I was fifteen, right? I can lift a little more than 138 Kilograms."

That's... isn't that like 300 pounds?

"In fact, I did not know that," I reply after a few seconds, blinking quickly. "I— I mean, I knew you worked out, but not about the, uh, 138 Kilogram thing."

Johnny smirks with a low chuckle, leaning down and murmuring in my ear with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. "Does that impress you?"

"Maaaaaybe," I tease with a fond, exasperated eye roll, lightly bumping into his side as he chuckles once more. "Now, what game should we try out next?"

Johnny hums in though, pressing a light kiss to my temple before looking around.

"Well... what do you suggest?" he questions, the two of us coming to a stop. "You seem to know all the good games and tricks, so it seems to me like I should have the professional pick out next stop."

My face lights up, and I quickly nod in excitement.

...

Third Person P.O.V

The couple walk arm-in-arm throughout the carnival, a gentle breeze rustling the trees and grass, as well as balloons floating around.

The two play Toss-A-Beanbag, both starting confidently before missing almost every shot. Eventually (Y/N) wins, cheering triumphantly as Johnny watches her with a contented smile.

...

Johnny looks over the large cotton candy they purchased in awe, (Y/N) munching on hers happily and laughing fondly at his starstruck look.

...

(Y/N) and Johnny competitively play Ring Toss, Johnny playfully nudging (Y/N)'s arm to throw off her aim as she exclaims in protest.

...

(Y/N) turns the wheel of her bumper car, hitting into Johnny's car as he spins out of control while yelling and laughing.

...

The couple play a shooting game together, both cheering as they shoot down all the fake alien signs and win.

...

"Johnny?" (Y/N) calls loudly, looking around in distortion.

Mirrors acted as the walls around her, her and Johnny getting separated on accident while exploring the House of Mirrors.

She looks around with confusion, yelping as she slams into something.

"Oops! Sorry!" she apologizes, pausing before deadpanning. "... that's a mirror. I apologized to my reflection. Amazing."

(Y/N) laughs to herself, shaking her head as she rounds a hallway. She collides with something once more, Johnny exclaiming in surprise and her yelling in alarm.

The two stare at one another as they recover from being startled, both bursting into laughter.

...

They go on multiple rides, both laughing and yelling on the major roller coasters and clinging to one another.

(Y/N) wears a plastic crown on her head, a prize from one of the booths. She also wore several beaded necklaces, and a (F/C) glow stick bracelet. Her gorilla plush was secured in her arms, a grin on her face.

Johnny had a pinned ribbon on his shirt for winning Whack-A-Mole, and wore a pair of star-shaped plastic sunglasses. He also wore a light up ring on his hand, and had on a blue glow stick bracelet as well.

The pair also had their pictures taken in a Photo Booth, (Y/N) keeping them secured in her bag along with smaller prizes they've won.

She looks towards the sun with a frown, the sun having start to set to signal the end of the day.

Johnny notices her visible disappointment, quickly looking around as he removes his sunglasses and lighting up with an idea.

"Love," he calls, getting her attention.

She turns to him with a head tilt, smiling lightly.

"Mind if I choose our next destination?"

(Y/N)'s brows furrow as she smiles in disbelief. "Of course you can! You don't have to ask me, Johnny."

Johnny grins giddily, grabbing her hand and leading her down the path.

...

Johnny covers her eyes with his hand, carefully leading her up to the next stop.

"Please don't let me trip," (Y/N) pleads with a nervous laugh, her arms outstretched in front of her warily.

"I won't! Promise," Johnny promises with a chuckle, watching her footing carefully. "And... here we are!"

He removes his hands, revealing the large Ferris wheel they had seen when they first arrived in Redshore City.

(Y/N) gasps softly in awe, the lights from the Ferris wheel shining in her eyes. She turns to Johnny, Johnny smiling sheepishly.

"This was why I wanted us to come today," he admits, nodding towards the Ferris wheel. "I knew you liked it, and thought it'd be nice for us."

(Y/N) smiles brightly, stepping forward and hugging Johnny tightly. "Thank you, Johnny. You made today perfect."

Johnny's arms wrap around her, a soft chuckle leaving him as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Today's not over, love. Let's get in line," he whispers softly, making her nod quickly in agreement.

...

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

Johnny and I take out seats on the Ferris wheel, my stomach fluttering in excitement as I look around with a smile.

The man closes the cart door, nodding politely to us before starting up the wheel. The wheel softly whirrs before starting, the wheel slowly rotating with us in it and raising us higher.

"Wow..." I breathe out softly as we go higher, the carnival far below us and the sunset shining across the sky.

I take a deep breath, sighing and leaning back with a smile as I watch the soft pink and gold sky.

I turn to speak to Johnny, pausing when I notice him looking down at his lap in thought. His hands rest on the bar of the cart, his pointer and index finger of his right hand tapping the bar softly.

"Johnny?"

His eyes flick up as I call his name, his fingers halting their movement. Johnny exhales deeply, his hands clenching around the bar before he releases it.

"The first and last time I went to a carnival was with my mum."

This catches me a bit off guard, my face falling in surprise.

He's never really mentioned his mom, but I've heard a little about her from Marcus.

I remember the far off look he had when he described her, a sad but angry glint in his eyes and a remorseful tone in his voice.

"She... wanted to do something nice for me," Johnny continues quietly, knowing I was listening as he sighs. "I was young, around five, I think. Just started kindergarten. I came home crying one day over something stupid. Some kid ruined my art project or something."

He scoffs lightly with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

"And so, to cheer me up, she wanted to take me to the carnival in town that week. She wanted my dad to come, too," he continues, his hand balling into a fist on his lap. "Begged him to over the phone. But, of course, he couldn't. He told her not to take me out, no matter what. She got upset, and took me anyway, saying he had no control over what she does as long as he's gone before hanging up."

I listen with furrowed brows, frowning as I remain silent for him to continue.

Johnny smiles sadly, "I remember having the best time with her. It was the most fun I had ever had. The colors, the music, the people... it was all amazing."

As he speaks, his smile slowly falls, his expression becoming tense as his eyes close.

"Until it wasn't," he murmurs, taking another deep breath and turning his head to look at me.

I don't speak for a few moments, "what... happened?"

Johnny looks out towards the sunset, eyes glossing over a bit. "I can't really remember. I think I blocked out most of it, but... some other gang showed up. Turns out they were the reason he was so busy. They found out about her, about me. He was trying to stop them. He tried to warn my mum, too... but she didn't listen."

His brows furrow further as he shakes his head. "I remember people screaming, and I remember me hiding behind one of the booths under the counter with her."

His voice shakes a bit as he speaks, and he clears his throat lightly. "It felt like hours but it was probably minutes before police eventually arrived and scared off the gang. I felt so relieved the good guys were there. I looked to my mum with a smile, and..."

I set my hand over Johnny's on the bar, squeezing it in comfort as tears fall from his eyes.

"The look on her face was just... shock, and terror. Her eyes were wide, her face pale. She muttered, 'I can't do this anymore,' and just... got up and left," he finishes quietly, shaking his head as his teeth clench. "Left me there in that spot, and disappeared as I shouted and pleaded for her to come back over and over."

My heart sank at his words, my own eyes filling with tears as his flick up to meet mine.

"She left you all alone?" I whisper in shock, shaking my head in disbelief.

Johnny reaches over, gently brushing my tear away with his thumb as it falls down my cheek. He smiles sadly, nodding for confirmation.

Thinking about a Johnny as a little boy sitting all alone with a restless crowd scrambling around, police shouting and terror in the air... it breaks my heart.

"I sat alone for hours, people clearing out as I remained glued in my spot under the counter in fear," he quietly continues, breathing through his nose deeply as he slowly lowers his hand. "No one had found me, and it was completely dark when I heard men shouting my name. I didn't respond, fearful it was the gang again as I covered my ears and cried."

Johnny absentmindedly fiddles with his glow stick bracelet, trying to distract himself as he speaks.

"I felt a hand on my shoulder and screamed bloody murder. Then, I was scooped up into someone's arms and held tightly in a hug as I thrashed around," he looks up towards the sky with a small smile.

"I only stopped when they managed to get me to open my eyes. It was my dad. He searched for hours for me after my mum had left him a voice message, basically telling him she was done. Done with him, and done with... me," Johnny's voice becomes quiet, sadness and disappointment in his voice. "I moved with my dad, and joined the Masked Hearts gang with Barry and Stan when I was old enough."

"And... your mom?" I carefully ask, hesitating a bit.

Johnny doesn't reply for a brief moment, smiling bitterly and shrugging. "Last I heard was she married some high up corporate guy and lives in Diamond City with him and her baby."

A short silence follows the end of his story, my words caught in my throat.

"I..." the Ferris wheel comes to a stop at the top, the cart swaying slightly as I speak. "I'm so sorry, Johnny. I can't imagine how afraid you must've been and how horrible that was."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not," Johnny replies confidently, turning to me with a soft smile. "I mean... I do wish she had stayed, but I also know if she had... none of this would've happened. I wouldn't have gone and lived with my father and joined his gang, and I wouldn't have ever met you."

As he speaks he angles his body towards mine, taking my hands into his and bringing them up to his lips to press a kiss to my knuckles.

"I would've been the same miserable gang member, missing out on life and love," he murmurs softly, pressing my palm against his cheek as he leans into it with a soft sigh of contentment.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," I lightly scold, shaking my head with a frown as my thumb brushes against his cheekbone. "I'm sure even without me you would've found your own way in life."

"Maybe," Johnny hesitantly agrees, though he seemed unconvinced as he lowers my hand from his cheek and looks down. "I'm sorry if this ruined our date. I know it's a lot, but I... I wanted to tell you, because I trust you and love you with all my heart," he concludes with a warm chuckle, squeezing my hand in his own. "And I wanted to thank you for changing my life."

"You didn't ruin anything, Johnny," I quickly reassure, reaching up and cupping his cheek once more in my hand. "And I love you, too. More than anything."

He smiles in relief, leaning into the touch with a smile.

"Thank you for telling me. I know it wasn't easy."

Johnny's smile grows at this, his hand setting over mine on his cheek. "The weird thing is, it was easy. Well, easier than I thought it'd be."

I don't reply, only grinning in response as he leans forward and presses his forehead against mine.

"Thank you for being you," he whispers under his breath, pressing his lips to mine gently.

...

We step off the platform, the Ferris wheel ride now over. The sun was still setting, the sky now turning a gold shade. I look up at it, smiling at the cloud swirls as we make our way towards the exit hand-in-hand.

I pause when a line catches my eye, a short line of people waiting for entry to a small building.

Johnny notices this, coming to a stop as well and looking towards the line.

"Want to see what's up over there before we head back to the hotel?" Johnny asks cheerfully, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Sure! This'll be a fun last stop," I agree eagerly, curious as to what the building was.

We make our way to the line, the worker allowing the small group of people in before clipping it shut just as we make it. The worker had long dark brown hair and brown eyes, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

"Oh! Sorry," she apologizes, frowning and adjusting her headset. "Looks like it'll just be you two entering after this group. Hope that's all right."

"That's fine," I reassure the worker with a smile, waving my hand lightly.

The worker presses her fingers to her headset, listening for a moment before nodding to herself and clipping the rope open for us.

"Sorry, but what exactly is this place?" Johnny says as we start to enter, turning to her as she closes the rope off once more.

The woman looks back towards us, the automatic door slowly shutting.

"The Haunted House? Wait, didn't you know—?!" the door slams shut, locking us in.

...

Third Person P.O.V

Johnny and (Y/N) stand at the end of a long, dark hallway, neither of the two saying a word as the worker's words ring in their ears.

"... Did... she— did she say Haunted House?" (Y/N) slowly asks, hesitant of the response as she holds the gorilla plush close.

"No! No," Johnny quickly replies, his voice higher than normal as he lies. "No, I believe she said... Happy... House?"

"Right," (Y/N) drags the word out sarcastically, scoffing.

"She did!" Johnny continues lying with a chuckle, taking her hand in his as he starts down the hallway. "Would I ever lie to you, love?"

"Yes." (Y/N) bluntly responds.

Johnny snorts at her quick response, their footsteps loud in the eerily silent hall. Only a faint red glow lit the way, cracks along the walls and fog at their feet.

"Only for good reason," he defends dramatically, the two rounding a corner. "Like... to reassure you?"

Doors slamming could be heard, making a loud thud sound off through the hall.

"Reassurance is a cruel lie," she huffs, eyes darting around warily as they continue walking. "A veil over one's eyes to hide the true horror of the world."

They walk under an archway made of skeleton bones, spider webs dancing along the sides of it. Johnny brushes them aside for (Y/N), shaking his head as he peers down at her.

"Oh, now you're being really dramatic," Johnny teases with a laugh, and (Y/N) knows he rolls his eyes from his tone. "Besides, this isn't so bad. Nothing really has even happened—"

His sentence was cut off by several screams sounding off in the distance, the sound thundering through the hallway. The voices yell desperately, filled with fear and horror before suddenly stopping, the hall once again becoming silent as the couple remain frozen in place.

"... Johnny, my moon, my stars, my love, you are crushing my hand."

Johnny's body was rigid, his eyes wide and shoulders tense and hand wrapped tightly around (Y/N)'s. He quickly loosens his grip, blinking rapidly as he turns to her.

(Y/N) nervously laughs, feeling her heart pound rapidly from adrenaline as a result of the sudden screams.

"Isn't so bad, huh?" she repeats him from a few seconds ago, nervously laughing once more as she hugs his arm.

"Not... so bad..." Johnny clears his throat, stepping forward a small step as (Y/N) remains glued to his side. "Just... remember these are people wearing costumes and makeup. Not real. Right?"

"Right..." (Y/N) weakly agrees, the sound of something dragging along the floor loud and clear as Johnny and her tense. "Not... real."

Johnny raises his arm out, using his glow stick bracelet as a light source as they come across a shut wooden door.

"Huh. We need a combination to open it," he murmurs, looking over the lock on the latch with a frown. "The clue says... When the moon is at its highest, the path ahead is revealed."

"Highest... up?" (Y/N) repeats, tilting her head back and looking up. "Oh! It's on the ceiling. Written in blood. Cool."

Johnny slowly releases her hand, bending down a bit to fiddle with the lock as he laughs.

"Mind reading it to me, love?"

"Sure, sure, uh..." she squints lightly to see the numbers, not noticing someone standing a few paces behind them. "It's... zero, two..."

(Y/N) waits for Johnny to insert the numbers, a shuffling sound gaining her attention.

"... one.... four..."

She slowly continues, her brows furrowing when she thinks she hears footsteps.

"Zero, three...?" (Y/N) finishes, her voice raising at the end in fear when she feels a presence behind her. "Johnny?"

"And... done," Johnny nods as the lock unlocks, standing upright and dusting off his hands.

"(Y/N)?"

A hand lightly touches (Y/N)'s shoulder, making her let out a startled scream. Johnny jumps out of his skin, spinning around just as she swings her elbow back and collides it with the person behind her.

The person falls back, landing on the floor with a thud and holding their stomach in pain. If you looked closely, you could see the faint outline of their spirit leaving their mouth.

(Y/N) looks down at the person as Johnny rushes to her side, heart rapidly beating. The person wore a zombie costume, clothing ripped a bit and fake blood splattered along their face and frontside. They also had a bite mark on their arm, the chunk of shirt torn off.

"Are you all right?!" Johnny quickly questions, looking her over in concern.

(Y/N) doesn't reply as she squints lightly, lowering herself and raising her glow stick bracelet towards the person's face. Her face falls as she gasps in horror, her hand flying up to her mouth.

"Merlin?!"

...

..

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!" (Y/N) apologizes for the millionth time, her face buried in her arms on the picnic table and her gorilla plush on her lap.

Merlin sat on the other side, arm clutching his stomach and his forehead pressed on the surface.

"I'm fine! Never..." he groans lightly as he lifts his head, offering a pained, kind smile. "Never been better!"

"You're a liar!" (Y/N) cries in response, shaking her head before lifting her head up as well. "I elbowed you in the gut with all my strength, Merlin! You are not fine!"

Merlin chuckles weakly, "You're right. I'm not. In fact, I feel like I could puke up my intestines right now."

(Y/N) groans and slams her head back down in remorse, shaking her head as she tightly hugs the gorilla plush.

"See?! It was better when I told you I was fine!" Merlin yells, wincing and holding his stomach in pain. "I am fine! I promise!"

Johnny walks over with three drinks in an cup carrier, a Sprite, a mango smoothie, and a (F/D).

"I don't know if this'll help," Johnny smiles sympathetically, setting the Sprite down in front of Merlin. "Considering it was an external blow that caused your stomachache. But... here."

"Thank you," Merlin thanks with a pained smile, sliding the Sprite over and sipping on it.

The sky above had turned a deep shade of purple, some of the booths now closed as people began to leave the carnival. The area was lit up by golden lights, the music a softer volume.

(Y/N) pouts as she sips at her drink, feeling guilty about hitting Merlin as Johnny takes a seat besides her. He lightly rubs her back with his left hand for comfort, making her look up as he offers a small smile.

"I really didn't know it was you," she apologizes again, frowning and looking to Merlin.

"I know," Merlin replies with a laugh, waving his hand. "Really, it's okay. It's my fault. Probably not the best idea walking up on the guests in the Haunted House."

"Well, hitting a worker isn't the best idea either," (Y/N) mumbles in response, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck as she sets the gorilla plush on the table. "I should've know it was a worker. And you said my name. Ugh."

She buries her face in her hands for a moment, lowering them down and lightly hitting her fist on her forehead.

Merlin snickers at this, "still, I shouldn't have grabbed your shoulder. After that group's screaming, anyone would be on edge."

"How'd you end up behind us any how?" Johnny questions, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Well, I was on break..."

...

Merlin walks around in his zombie costume, sipping away at his drink with a bored expression.

"When I saw Sabrina freaking out rambling to herself while pacing around. I went over and asked what's up..."

Sabrina frantically tells him about the couple, and how they didn't know it was a Haunted House and that she let them in blindly.

"So, I offered to check on said couple."

Merlin walks through the dark tunnel with a neutral, if not bored look, hands tucked in his pockets. Screams sound off, Merlin not flinching as he rounds the corner.

"And I came across them at the dumb locked door at the end of the hall."

"Mind reading it to me, love?"

He pauses at the familiar voice, his brows furrowing lightly as he listens.

"Sure, sure, uh..." another voice replies, also familiar as he starts walking once more.

Merlin comes to a stop a few paces behind the couple, struggling to see in the dark.

"It's... zero, two..."

(Y/N) speaks, Merlin's face showing confusion as he shifts closer.

"... one.... four..."

She slowly continues, Merlin slowly walking over to not frighten the two. He comes to a stop, patiently waiting behind the girl.

"Zero, three...?" (Y/N) finishes, her voice raising at the end in fear. "Johnny?"

Merlin's brows raise at the name, the familiar voices clicking in his mind.

"And... done," Johnny nods as the lock unlocks, standing upright and dusting off his hands.

"(Y/N)?" Merlin questions, reaching out and touching her shoulder lightly.

She screams and makes Merlin flinch, her elbow colliding with his gut and sending him to the ground with a pained groan.

"Are you all right?!" he can hear Johnny ask (Y/N), his eyes spiraling.

"Merlin?!"

...

"Annnnnd... that's the story of how I ended up behind you guys," Merlin concludes, crookedly grinning as he rubs the back of his neck.

(Y/N) frowns and looks away as she rests her elbow on the table, her chin on her palm.

"(Y/N)," Merlin calls in a gentle tone, making her look over with a frown. "Really, I'm fine. I'm not angry at you or anything. Okay?"

He smiles reassuringly, (Y/N) watching him for a moment before slowly smiling herself with a short nod.

"I didn't know you worked here," Johnny says after drinking some of his drink, looking over Merlin's zombie attire.

"Just for the week," Merlin nods, rubbing away at some of the makeup on his face and tugging at his shirt. "It's fun, and the pay is decent. I was honestly surprised to see you guys here. That's why I approached you in the hall, to see if it was really you two."

"Johnny planned this date for us!" (Y/N) proudly responds, hugging Johnny's arm with a smile.

Johnny stammers lightly as his cheeks flush, his lips tugging up into a shy smile.

"I'm glad," Merlin chuckles at the two, nodding in approval. "It's nice to see you guys together having a good time. And it looks like you got quite the haul of prizes. Any favorites?"

"Yup!" (Y/N) proudly presents the gorilla plush, her glow stick bracelet around its arm. "Johnny won this at the Milk Bottle booth for me when we first arrived! Isn't it marvelous?!"

Merlin's brow raises in amusement, "yes, it is! I'm surprised someone managed to win that rigged game."

"Shoulda' seen the look on that bloke's face when I knocked them down," Johnny recalls with a laugh, shaking his head. "I think he almost had a heart attack."

"Dang, I wish I could've seen that!" Merlin snaps his fingers in mock disappointment, smiling lightheartedly. "What about you, Johnny? Have a favorite?"

Johnny looks up in thought, (Y/N) leaning against his side with her head on his upper bicep.

"Oh!" Johnny lights up, reaching into his Jean pocket and pulling out a small skateboard keychain. "This is my favorite. (Y/N) got it for me for a few tickets over by the skeeball game."

"Sick!" Merlin nods in appreciation, taking the keychain and looking over it with a smile. "Do you skate?"

"Does he skate?" (Y/N) repeats in amusement, nodding with a grin. "All the time. He's amazing at it. We go to the skatepark every weekend back home."

Merlin's eyes light up, his smiling growing. "No way! I love skateboarding! You guys know there's a nice skateboard shop down at the boardwalk?"

Johnny's brows raise in surprise at this, "really?"

"Yeah! Oh, we should totally go tomorrow before dance rehearsal and hang out!" Merlin excitedly suggests, pausing and sheepishly laughing as his cheeks flush. "Um. If you guys want to, that is. We don't have to. It was just, you know, a suggestion."

(Y/N) and Johnny look to one another, Johnny smiling and nodding before tilting his head towards Merlin.

"Let's do it!" (Y/N) cheers with a laugh, some of the workers looking over for a moment at the sound.

A bright smile appears on Merlin's face, overjoyed to have finally made friends in this city.

After finishing their drinks and talking until the carnival officially closed, the three exchange phone numbers at the exit and confirm a meet up time and place for the next day before going their separate ways.

(Y/N) takes Johnny's hand, their fingers intertwining as they make their way back to the hotel with the city lights beaming around them.

...

..

.

IM BACK LOVELIESSSSS

Fun fact

I once almost ran into a wall length mirror when rounding a corner entering a bathroom at some fancy store, and, thinking there was someone in front of me, I apologized before trying to go around them. I paused and looked up when they took the same path to apologize again, only to realize it was my own reflection.

I never felt more stupid 😭😭

Also, I don't know why I decided to give Johnny a sad background with his mother 😭😭 I looked her up, and there's nothing about her. Just says she's not mentioned at all.

So I was like, oh, it's sad time.

I hope you liked the chapter!! I'm so so so sorry for the huge delay in getting it up. But I promise, updates are now resuming as normal ❤️❤️❤️