#rollercoaster ride

He had planned carefully, had bought the tickets in advance and had calculated how early they had to leave home for there, to guarantee they would be one of the first in the line for the Lion Roar.

What he hadn't planned was that Peter would have a panic attack at the idea of going on a thrill ride and that Sirius and Remus would be much more interested in the Amortentia Tunnel than going in what is already one of the world's best roller coasters.

But since James can never be accused of being a bad friend, he uses all his knowledge of the Park to take them to Slytherin Zone, where the water rides are, before running to Gryffindor Zone.

He lets out a cry when he sees the already huge queue for the attraction, but there is nothing he can do now except getting in line with everyone else. The expectation time is fifty minutes in the line. That’s fine; he already waited for months. 

It’s hot and there isn’t much shadow in the line, but James doesn’t let this damper his mood. He hears the delighted cries of the people who are in the ride and lets this encourage him. Just thirty minutes more. Then fifteen. He already sees the end of the line - the portraits where people enter to board the cars.

Then, finally, it’s his turn. The attendant calls for the next two persons and James confidently takes a step to pass through the portrait.

‘Hey, hey’, the attendant - a Prefect according to the terms used in the park - stops him, looking at him with a frown. ‘Where is your pair?’

James blinks.

‘What?’

‘Your pair. This is a ride for couples’, the Prefect notes tediously and points to a board right next to them.

All cars must have two people. 

James stares, dumbfounded, because there was never any warning on their website, in any of the reviews he read, on anywhere.

The Prefect calls two friends in the line behind James, closing that turn, and that wakes him.

‘So - I can’t go?’

The Prefect raises his eyebrows and points to the next line of the board.

Singles will be paired.

‘Just wait here, in one or two minutes we will find you a match’.

That seems a little bit offensive, but he won’t complain.

‘Can I go in the first car?’ he asks instead, and the Prefect nods distractedly.

It shouldn’t be too difficult, James thinks. There are many groups with an odd number of members. Parents with a single kid. Someone else who was also left by his friends. It takes more than three minutes, however, and James is already considering an app for matching people with similar interests in thrill rides - maybe he can convince Remus to help him with the codes -

‘Stay here, you will go in a moment with him’.

James blinks and he returns to the Earth just in time to see a girl smiling nervously as she walks to his side. He glances at her, for the first time forgetting about the ride. It’s a gorgeous girl, the same age as him, with dark red hair that she keeps in a braid, though he sees strands of hair escaping and flying with the light breeze; James feels a strange urge to take the hair out of her face. Then he sees her eyes.

Bright green eyes.

 ‘Hi’, the girl is saying to him, her voice distracted, not really looking at him.

He resists the urge to sigh.

‘Hi’, he answers, late, but he thinks she didn’t hear him because the Prefect calls them at the same time.

‘Through the Fat Lady portrait’, he says, pointing to the first portrait.

Oh, yes, that’s why he is there. For the Lion Roar.

Not to fall in love at first sight with a girl that he will share a ride for two minutes and eleven seconds.

The girl is glancing at him, expecting, and James grins.

'You first', he says, trying to sound nice, but the girl just sighs. James sees her hands are shaking.

That makes him frown. He remembers Peter's pale face that morning, when he refused to go to the amusement park with them, and James recognizes the fear in that girl's eyes.

But she walks with her head high through the portrait and he follows her, still stealing glances in her direction. She shudders before entering the car and she flinches when the safety bar is lowered, but she doesn't say anything, doesn't look like she will give up.

He feels admiration growing inside him. James never feared any ride, enjoying every radical sport he could try just for the adrenaline rush; but the redhead by his side - his partner for the ride - has a determined expression on her face, despite the fact her knuckles are white, her hands gripping tightly the bars.

'It is safe', he hears himself saying before he can control herself. The girl turns her head to him as much as the bars allow her.

'What?'

'This ride. It’s safe. There is no danger'.

'I know', she replies, looking confused. 'There was never an accident at Hogwarts Amusement Park before'.

'Oh. Sorry, I just thought -'

The girl gives him a sly smile.

'I look that nervous?'

'Well -', he begins, unsure of what to say, but she flinches once more when the car starts to move. Then she blushes despite her white face.

'I am a bit afraid of heights', she admits, looking rather nervously at the long tracks ahead, rising in the direction of the blue sky.

'And you came to one of the world's tallest roller coasters?'

'Yes'.

'But - why?'

She chuckles slightly.

'Because I can. When I was younger my sister laughed that I wasn't tall enough for the rides. So here I am. In every ride there is'.

James decides he will have to propose to that girl someday.

'I am James!', he cries, as the wind grows stronger around them.

'Lily!', she screams back, and she sees her looking rather worriedly at how high they are now.

'It will be fine', he promises, and she looks at him, their eyes locking. After a second, she gives a tiny nod, a smile lifting up her face and she looks calm for the first time since he met her.

He smiles back, wondering if somehow he can grab her hand - just for a little more encouragement, of course -

When they drop.

-------------------

Two minutes and eleven seconds later, the roller coaster is coming to a stop, and the safety bars are lifted.

'That was amazing!', Lily says, and though her legs are still shaking, there is a wild excited grin in her face.

'Fantastic!', James agrees, beaming too, still feeling the lingering effects of the thrill of the ride - that rush of adrenaline pumping through his vein, his muscles still tightened and his heart beating faster than normal.

Then he looks at his partner ride, her face flushed and vivid, and he thinks his heart won't slow down any time soon.

'So', he begins, as they start to descend the stairs, and hopes he sounds nonchalant. 'You are here alone?'

'Yeah, I got the ticket for today on a contest, and none of my friends could buy it. Tickets sold out one month in advance!'.

'I stayed until two in the morning to buy them', James admits. She seems amused.

'Adrenaline junkie, are you?', teases Lily and James flushes.

'I like the thrill'.

'You are in the right place then', she notes, glancing around to the other rides around them in Gryffindor Zone.

'And you?'

'I enjoy facing challenges', she shrugs like it's nothing. 'Trying to look brave'.

'You are brave', he notes, not minding to show his appreciation.

She laughs.

'Did you see me trembling there? I bit all my nails in the line'.

'But you went. That's what Gryffindor Zone is about'. He picks his park map to show her the slogan. 'Gryffindor, where dwells the brave at heart'.

Lily gives him a radiant smile and James thinks her smile makes him feel more exhilarated than any roller coaster could ever make.

They enter together in the store at the end of the ride and, as James glances around the red and gold merchandising, Lily goes straight to the photo booth.

'Number 394, please', she asks the attendant. Then she turns to James with a teasing smile on her lips. 'Want a copy of our moment, partner?'

Their moment.

James nods.

'So, why are you single?', she asks, and for a moment James wonders how she knows his relationship status before realizing what she means.

'My friends ditched me for a love ride'.

'Love tunnels? They are so dull’, she says, in a mocking voice that makes him chuckle.

'There is not a single fall in them', James agrees as if that is scandalous.

'Maybe that's why couples snog there. Pure boredom'.

He nods, even as it comes to him that maybe love rides don't sound so boring with the right partner.

The attendant returns with their photos and James opens the folder to see a picture of him and Lily, right after the first fall - they are both looking exhilarated and dizzy, but his eyes concentrate on Lily. She is beaming, her green eyes sparkling even in the photograph, her face flushed from the thrill.

And he sees that, at some point during that fall, their hands were really close, almost touching.

'I guess I will see you around?', he hears Lily asking him, and there is a curious expression in her face.

Looking at her, James feels like he is back at the top of the roller coaster, right before the 450 feet drop and the whooping feeling it causes.

And he always welcomed that feeling.

'We could go together if you like', he says, his heart beating fast and he knows it’s the adrenaline.

She bits her lips for a tiny second before smiling.

'Partner ride?'

'Maybe lunch partner too? I know where all the best food trucks are, I promise you'.

'I may grab your hand', she warns, playfully. 'You know, just for support'.

'I would very much enjoy it. Being your support, I mean'.

He doesn't think he fooled her. Her eyes are shining.

'Then let's go. I heard the Firebolt Free Fall is the best drop ride in the country'.

And she offers him her hand.

The next photo they buy, James hopes, they can be holding hands.

Dorian slides into the kitchen chair next to her and lays his head down on the table, looking up at her with the saddest, biggest puppy dog eyes he can manage, and innocently holds up the small gold key that usually resides under the flowerpot next to the front door. Aelin grabs it back and lays her head on the table next to him. They stare at each other, their faces a few inches apart, Dorian’s eyes wide with wondering at Aelin’s frowning.

Dorian smirks and brings his hand up to boop her nose softly. Aelin scrunches her nose, but she can’t help but crack the smallest of smiles at her best friend’s efforts.

“You’ve been in a mood since Monday. What’s the deal?” he asks. “It wouldn’t happen to have to do with the red lipstick fiasco? Don’t think I didn’t notice you went back upstairs to put it on.”

“No,” Aelin scoffs, her false bravado kicking in as she pushes herself upright. “Of course not. I just remembered I had a matte stay all day lipstick, and it went better with my outfit.”

Dorian lifts himself up and stares at Aelin, his brow furrowing as he goads her, “So not wanting to go to the park has absolutely nothing to do with the hot hot silver-haired staff member you were making eyes at all day?” Dorian sighs. “Come on, Aelin. Tell meee,” he pleads. “I already know.”

Aelin flips her hair over her shoulder as she places her mug into the sink. “I’m sorry, Dor.”

“You’re the one who’s going to be sorry,” he says. “Because if we’re not going to the park, I’m going to need full details on your hot piece. And the side dish he brought with him.”

It suddenly clicks for Dorian. “Ohhhh, you’re disappointed he brought a date?” Dorian smirks. “Aelin. Not everyone can be single at your behest.”

She crosses her arms, annoyed. This is why she wanted one more day to herself. She didn’t want to talk about Rowan and his stupid rude girlfriend with her dark hipster makeup and beautifully inked skin and brightly dyed hair. If that was Rowan’s type, she had no shot of getting his attention. Not that she hadn’t tried. With the white bathing suit, and playing rough with the boys in the deep end and overzealously clinging onto Dorian’s back. Still, he hadn’t said a damn thing to her until the party ended, and only by accident.

“No,” Aelin lies. Dorian looks at her, unblinking. “Stop that.”

“You can’t let one little staff member prevent you from going to the park. It’s Ashryver Playland, and you’re Aelin fucking Ashryer. It’s your park. Let’s go reclaim our stomping grounds. Please?” he begs again, his sapphire eyes looking up at her through his thick fringe of lashes. “I promise I’ll shield you if we see him.”

“Fine.”

Dorian’s blinding smile is almost worth it. She tells him she’ll be right back and runs upstairs to get dressed for the day. She might put a little more effort into it than she would for just Dorian, but there’s no harm in looking cute. She braids her hair into two French braids and wiggles into a hot pink crop top and her overall shorts. She dons a full face of makeup, finishing with a pink lipstick, and finally makes her way down to where an impatient Dorian is waiting.

He holds out his arm for her, smartly not commenting on her outfit, and Aelin slips her arm through, linking them together for the fifteen minute walk down the beach to the Playland.

They’re greeted at the ticket booth by Fenrys, who is working behind the counter. He blushes upon seeing the approaching pair, and it makes Aelin smile. He hasn’t been quiet about his crush on both her and Dorian, which she thinks they would both be all over if he weren’t four years their junior. He’s shockingly good-looking with deep tanned skin and shoulder-length golden hair. He flashes them a toothy smile and Aelin can’t help but grin back, her mood lightening.

“Ah, the king and queen of Playland.” He pulls out unlimited wristbands for them. “Happy Summer.”

“Hey, handsome, happy summer,” Aelin says with a wink as he tapes on her wristband.

“Aelin, when are you going to let me take you out and make me the happiest man in Terrasen?” Fenrys asks, and Dorian snorts.

“Man? You’re not even old enough to grow facial hair,” Dorian teases, rubbing his thumb against Fenry’s bare cheek. It blooms with a rare blush under Dorian’s touch.

“I just turned twenty-one, so, who knows? Maybe this year is the year,” Fenrys says as he puffs out his chest. He bursts into laughter. “Yeah, yeah. I know you’d never date a staff member anyway. No shitting where you eat and all that.”

“Sure,” Dorian smirks. “That’s the reason.”

Aelin grabs at Dorian’s hand, pulling him away and waves goodbye to Fenrys, ready for the day.  Aelin leans her head on her friend’s shoulder, her heart feeling ten times lighter. She’s buoyant, actually. She skips into the park, pulling Dorian along as she makes her way toward their first ride.

They make their way toward the biggest ride in the park – the Firecoaster, a rickety wooden rollercoaster built nearly a century ago. It’s Aelin’s absolute favorite ride in the park, so they do it first every single time, despite Dorian’s constant criticism of it (it’s too shaky, it’s too old, why haven’t they replaced the cars in a literal hundred years?).

But as they arrive at the ride she sees a short crop of silver hair at the entrance, letting people onto the coaster. Naturally.

“Maybe we should come back to the coaster later,” Aelin suggests, and Dorian’s eyebrow lifts in question.

“You know I won’t go on this ride in the dark,” Dorian replies, and Aelin nods. She really wants to go on this coaster. But with Rowan letting people on, there’s absolutely no way to avoid him.  “Is he up there?” Dorian whispers and tugs at one of Aelin’s pigtails.

Aelin doesn’t answer, still unsure of how she’s going to handle the whole situation. Dorian grabs her hand and pulls her into the line. With people piling in behind them, they’re immediately stuck.

“What the hell?” Aelin hisses, but Dorian simply shrugs.

“You’re taking back your ground!” he says exuberantly.

Aelin knows he’s right, but her stomach still feels like she ate a box of rocks with how heavy it is suddenly. She watches intently as Rowan performs his job, dutifully ushering everyone into the wooden coaster cars and making sure they’re safely secured before they take off. He’s not particularly friendly, Aelin notices. He's not the kind of staff member who smiles at each person with a customer service grin, but she does take note that at he makes sure to help the smaller kids in and out with one of his steadying hands.

The line moves far too quickly, and within minutes they’re at the top of the line. Aelin knows she should look away, but as she makes her way onto the platform, she keeps her eyes trained on Rowan. When he finally turns and meets her gaze, his dark green eyes widen slightly with surprise. Aelin swallows, her mouth suddenly feeling completely parched as they share a charged, wordless stare.

It’s interrupted by the last coaster coming to a stop suddenly on the tracks before them, and Rowan scrambles to attention to help the group exit the car. Dorian pushes Aelin into the first row of the empty car, and she stumbles forward, throwing her best friend a dirty glare.

Aelin straps herself into the cart, pulling the seatbelt across her lap and clicking it securely in place.

“Everyone, hands up,” Rowan says, and he starts from the back of the car, tugging at the seatbelts to ensure the passengers’ safety.  

By the time Rowan reaches the front row, Aelin’s heart is pounding in her chest, and it has absolutely nothing to do with her excitement to ride the rollercoaster.

Rowan squats down and leans his torso across Aelin, his arm lightly brushing against the front of her overalls as he reaches over her to tug on Dorian’s seatbelt. Satisfied that it’s in place, Rowan pulls back slightly, his brows furrowed and his lips twisted into a thin straight line. His head is so close to hers, she can feel his breath fan across her neck as he exhales. Despite the hot sun overhead, goosebumps break out across her arms. What the hell?

“Hey, you’re Rowan, right?” Dorian pipes up, and Aelin sends him a murderous glare as the silver-haired man looks up with a suspicious frown on his face.

“Uh, yeah. I am,” Rowan says, turning his attention to Aelin’s lap.

“Aelin’s told me so much about you,” Dorian continues, ignoring his best friend’s death stare. “Maybe we could all go out soon? Since we didn’t get to meet at the party.”

Rowan looks perplexed as he adjusts his position again to check Aelin’s seatbelt. “Um, maybe? I’m kinda busy… with work.”

Aelin is going to kill Dorian. She shifts in her seat to question him, right as Rowan reaches down to tug at her seatbelt, and she accidentally throws him off balance. Rowan falls forward a tiny bit and his hand darts out to brace himself. It comes to rest on Aelin’s knee, the rough pads of his fingers clutching against her bare skin, and if Aelin weren’t restrained, she thinks she may have jumped out of the car in shock.  

“Sorry!” Rowan apologizes, snatching his hand back in pain, as if she were on fire and he’d just burned himself.

“It’s fine,” Aelin says, her voice sounding breathy to her own ears. She’s positive she’s blushing all the way down to her chest, but she refuses to look.

“Sorry,” he says again, his voice filled with apology.

She’s about to reassure him again, but he’s already walking back to the controls. Aelin looks over her shoulder to get one more look at the man who literally took her breath away with a single touch, but she can’t think about it for long.

Because soon she’s flying forward. The wind rushes across Aelin’s face, swirling around her with each twist and turn of the coaster. Laughter bubbles up from her chest, and she squeals loudly as they hit the first drop. She closes her eyes and lets the ride take her up, up and away, making her heart race.

Just as quickly as it took off does it come to a halt. Aelin unclips herself quickly and runs as fast as she can on her unsteady legs, away from Rowan’s prying gaze. As soon as she’s far enough away from the ride, she whirls around and socks Dorian in the arm. Hard.

“OW!” He clutches at his shoulder.

“Maybe we could all go out soon?” Aelin parrots his words back at him. “What the fuck, Dor?! What happened to being my shield?”

Dorian rubs his arm, slowly stoking the pain out of his dead arm. “I was doing recon. Notice he didn’t say he had a girlfriend.”

“I hate you,” Aelin says, going to punch his other arm, and Dorian runs, cowering from her absurd superhuman ability to find the most painful spot to punch.

“You love me!” he shouts as he sprints toward the log flume.

The pair chase each other from ride to ride, making the most of their day in the park. Aelin only spots Rowan once more, after his shift change, taking tickets at the Skyflyer – a ride she and Dorian have sworn never to go back on after they both tried it in high school and puked their guts out afterwards. So, conveniently, she doesn’t have to deal with that whole situation again. Which is good, because it’s starting to stress Aelin out. She’s never this strung out about a guy. Ever. Especially one that isn’t single and is definitely uninterested.

By the time the sun is setting, Aelin is more than ready to go home. She could use a long soak in the bath and a good night’s sleep. But Dorian insists on one more ride. Aelin agrees, but only if Dorian promises to buy her fried dough with Nutella on it for dessert after.

Dorian’s smile lights up his face as he pulls her towards the bumper cars. Aelin might have a little too much fun crashing into his car over and over again.

With a scoop of Nutella in her mouth, Aelin sees a shock of silver hair, finally coming in for the end of his day. She watches as he crosses the field and makes his way into the employee break room, her eyes following the motion of his lithe body. God, now that she knows what he looks like without a shirt on, she can’t stop imagining the way his tattoo crept up his taut abs, over his wide shoulders, and trailing down the side of his muscular back. It’s not fair. Why did he have to be in a relationship already? She licks her lips, tasting the warm chocolatey hazelnut spread and hums in pleasure as she imagines licking it off other places…

“Elide!” Dorian shouts, calling over their friend and breaking Aelin out of her hormone-induced trance. Elide runs over with a smile on her face for the pair.

“I’m sorry I barely saw you both at the party,” Elide apologizes immediately, but Aelin and Dorian wave her off.

“You were celebrating. With Lorcan, right? Please say yes,” Aelin says with a cheerful smile and offers a bite of her dough to Elide.

“I actually spent most of the time with a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a few years,” Elide admits as she takes the piece from Aelin. “She used to be my RA. She’s the best. I hope you met her.”

“Really?” Dorian asks. “That’s so much fun. Who?”

“Manon Blackbeak?” Elide continues, oblivious to Aelin stiffening next to her at the table. “She came with a new guy, Rowan. She’s his roommate. Isn’t that such a crazy coincidence?” Elide rambles.

Dorian looks to Aelin and mouths “roommates” with a smirk.

“Roommates?” Aelin asks, her voice tight. “Is that all they are? Because I got kind of a datey vibe from them.” Aelin tries to keep her face impassive, but can’t when Dorian snorts at her. Aelin has forgone subtlety today, apparently.

“No, that’s impossible,” Elide says resolutely with a shake of her head.

“Because roommates have never gotten together before?” Aelin asks, her voice haughty with ridicule.

“No. Because they both like women,” Elide says with a laugh. “Or at least Manon does.”

Dorian bites his lip and looks at Aelin. His eyes frantically connect with hers before looking back at Elide, who is completely unaware of the bomb she’s just dropped.

“Is that so?” Dorian asks, and Elide nods.

“Oh yeah. Manon is a gold star and proud of it.” Elide looks at her watch. “Shit, I have to clock out. But I want to catch up with both of you later, okay? Find me next time you’re in the park?”

“Yuppp,” Aelin drawls. “Bye, babe!” Aelin waves as Dorian practically drags Aelin out to the parking lot, his torso doubled over in laugher.

Aelin frowns. “It’s not that funny.”

“It’s hilarious,” he says, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “Here you were all worked up about your prince Charming having a girlfriend and she’s gay. What gave you the impression they were dating?”

“I don’t know. He brought a hot blonde to my house?” Aelin sighs. Rowan did introduce Manon as his friend. “Oh my god, I get it,” she squeaks.

“What?”

“She said this thing about keeping two of her nails short, and… I’m am so stupid.”

Dorian laughs at her, hard, and wraps his arms around her shoulders. “So, what now? Want help reeling in your man?”

Aelin smiles as she sees Rowan climbing into a beat up truck halfway down the parking lot.  “No,” Aelin shakes her head as she links arms with Dorian again. “I think I’ve got it.”

~*~*~*~*~

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[On the screen, his hands have found Peter’s face, gently lifting his head up so he can wipe the tears away.

“I love you,” Peter hiccups.

Tony freezes.

“Play that again,” he whispers. Dutifully, FRIDAY rewinds the tapes.

“Please, I can’t lose you. Not you, too,” Peter is saying. Tony lifts his head. “I love you.”

Peter is looking at him through his red, puffy eyes, tears still trickling down his cheeks. He looks desperate, heartbroken.

Tony is barely breathing.

He watches himself give Peter an eskimo kiss. The mortification surges up, but it’s washed away just as quickly as he hears Peter giggle, a small, wet sound. It was worth it, for that.

Peter buries his face in Tony’s other shoulder, his arms wrapping around Tony’s waist.

“I love you,” he says again. Because he knows Tony can’t hear it.

“Stop the tape,” Tony says. Immediately the video pauses, still showing Tony holding Peter on the floor in the middle of the hallway.