[Anni MP] you could be my love - niek

No matter how red Niek's face got or how much he stuttered as he protested, Tane was calling this trip to the carnival their first date. It was true that they still hadn't defined this strange friend/lover space they were currently residing in but that didn't matter to Tane. He was taking his best friend, who also happened to be the boy he loved, on a date. He planned on doing all kinds of silly date-like things: sharing candy floss and popcorn, winning Niek a prize at a game booth, and making out in the Tunnel of Love if his shy lover would let him. Tane was especially looking forward to that last part, but he was saving that for the end of the night when Niek might be a little more loose.

Right now, Tane was content to walk hand-in-hand with Niek, even if the other boy looked like he was expecting something terrible to happen while they touched in public. "Relax," Tane cooed softly, leaning in to brush a kiss against Niek's cheek. "This will be fun." He hoped Niek wouldn't become lapidescent* on him, turning to stone at the affectionate gesture. "I've never been to a carnival like this before. What should we do first?" Tane was going to let Niek do most of the directing for the night, unless he became to overwhelmed with choices, which happened occasionally. "Food, games, or attractions? The Side Show is suppose to be especially scandalous. Or maybe the Fun House?"

*random word generator

@Nieks Krusen

Well, this was awkward.

As soon as Tane had read about the carnival, he had badgered Nieks endlessly to go with him. He claimed it was some sort of a date, and after a whole day of trying to avoid the topic, Niek relented. He couldn't say no to Tane, not when he brushed him against the shoulder, and slid his hands oh so subtly (okay, during the class and at the back of the classroom was not subtly) up Niek's shirt, Nieks had to just say yes. Tane was literally pulling all the stops out to get Nieks to almost reluctantly agree. Secretly, though, Nieks was glad that Tane dragged him along, or forced him to come. He didn't like crowded places, and the carnival was the most crowded of places, so when they got there and Tane slipped his hand into Niek's, the Dutch boy allowed it. A safety net. He was pretty sure Tane dragged him here to make sure that he could simply walk around with Niek's hand in his own, to solidify the relationship they had. Since that night, Nieks wasn't sure what he felt, or where their relationship was going. It was a strange line between best friends and lovers, and the idea of moving into a new sphere with Tane made his heart skip a beat. And not in the good way.

But here they were, walking through the carnival, hand in hand. Tane was as confident as always, while Niek himself was more red in the face and a little nervous as he shuffled along just a few paces slower than Tane. In reality, Tane was doing a lot of pulling, verses the casual walks they'd take, for example, if they were on Beauxbatons acreage. Nieks was definitely uncomfortable, but he was trying to swallow his pride. As Tane tried to reassure him -- including a small brush of lips against Nieks' already warmed cheeks -- the Dutch boy couldn't help but feel his face hotten more. It would be fun, if Nieks wasn't so wound up in nerves. He chewed on his lip hard, shifting on his feet slightly as Tane asked what they should do, made a couple of suggestions, and then added to them. Nieks knew Tane was trying to let him direct, but at the same time, Nieks wasn't much of a leader. In reality, he still wasn't sure why Tane loved him so much. He was meek and weak and submissive and tended to, well, over think things. Everything. All the time.

"I u-u-u-um..." the stutter showed his nerves, bad, but not completely shut down. Someone brushed across his other side and he unconsciously shuffled closer to Tane. Too many people. Far too many people here, in the front of the carnival, on the main path. His heart felt like it was in his throat and he spoke without thinking, just latching onto one of Tane's suggestions, something that sounded, well, less than populated, "F-F-Fun h-house..."

Tane knew Niek would be uncomfortable here, which was on part one reason he brought him. When in doubt, Niek clung to comfortable and familiar things. And what was more comfortable and familiar than his best friend and lover? Well, one-time lover as Niek had been far less physically expressive since their first encounter. But the half-Maori was certain that with time and patience, he could get Niek more comfortable again and they could take another step in the direction that Tane was leading them.

Besides his own personal agenda, Tane was also just genuinely excited to be here and sharing the experience with Niek. Tane had never been here before and so everything was new and fascinating. He really didn't care all that much where they went inside the confines of the grounds. He wanted to experience it all, the sights and smells and sounds. Tane had always been an easy-going child so the crowds didn't bother him. The frequent tugs on his hand as Niek lagged behind him seemed to indicate that his best friend and fellow Ombrelune was far less at ease.

He could hear the stutter in Niek's voice, pronounced as it usually was when he was nervous. But he was still talking , which was good. When Niek shuffled closer to him, Tane let go of Niek's hand to slide his arm reassuringly around the smaller but older boy's waist. "I've got you," Tane murmured, his voice still low and reassuring. Niek mentioned the Fun House, so Tane quickly scanned the nearby sign post and maneuvered them onto a smaller, more vacant path which would lead them to the Fun House. Once they were mostly alone, Tane let his arm drop, picking up Niek's hand again in a slightly less intimate embrace.

"Did you ever come here with your family?" he asked, looking around at the signs for the various attractions and performances. They were all so colorful and eye-catching; Tane wanted to see all of them.

Unconsciously, Nieks clung and leaned into Tane's protective arms when he got nervous. Even so, when too many people were around, he felt like he collapsed more, clearly needing a defensive measure to feel safe. Tane held onto him protectively as they started towards a less populated path, and then as the population seemed to thin out, Tane's hand went back into his. Nieks squeezed it, lacing their fingers together desperately, needing the connection. He chewed on his lip as they walked, a little more together now that Nieks' nerves were evening out and the less people were around, the more comfortable and safe he felt. He hated how he wasn't so good with crowds, but there was just something about them that really... bothered the young man.

"I u-um o-once when I w-was little... B-Before M-Myrthe was e-even born," he murmured. Myrthe had just turned eleven in the early part of the summer, and when Nieks said he when he was younger, that most likely meant when he was three or four years old. He had remembered the reason they came, to let the kids listen to music. Sterre had become unusually fascinated with the goblins who juggled and the trolls who played tiny instruments, while Nieks... didn't have the greatest of times. He didn't want to be there, and definitely didn't want to learn about things, but still he went. He wasn't fond of carnivals -- okay, he really wasn't fond of the circus. Maybe they could just... avoid that whole part together.

"S-Sorry I'm... I'm s-so..." I'm a wuss, he wanted to admit. He was getting nervous again, more so by the thoughts of disappointing Tane. He chewed on his lip as he shuffled his feet along, his free hand pulling nervously at his sleeve in irritation. Man, was he so stupid. So, so stupid. "S-Sorry," he repeated. He didn't have anything else clear to say, so repetition was his go to.

Tane loved the way Niek needed him. Tane had put a lot of work into making himself the one thing Niek couldn't do without. Hours and days and months and years of work into crafting someone who would be his, devoted and desperate and oh so in love. The half-Maori still had work to do. Niek still pulled, fighting the love and safety Tane offered him for reasons that were a complete mystery to the slightly younger boy. For this moment, though, Niek was out of his element and he latched onto Tane with a kind of fierce need. Fingers laced, hands clasped, and all was for the moment as it should be.

"I wonder what you were like as a child," Tane mused, looking down lovingly at his best friend. "I've known you for five years now but you were probably different before you came to Beauxbatons." Tane squeezed their joined hands, chuckling slightly. "I wonder if you would have liked me. If we had met when we were very young, do you think we would still have been friends?" Tane had heard stories about Niek as a child from the times he spent with Niek's family but Niek had no such luxury. Tane always invited Niek to his house during breaks and always Niek refused. Given his parents' feelings about non-purebloods it was hardly surprising his lover would choose to stay away. Although Tane had brought some of his own baby pictures to show Niek and his family once. Formal pictures of a dark-eyed boy in traditional robes with a serious expression.

The slightly younger boy felt Niek's hesitance through their connection and he slowed slightly, pulling Niek into the space between two tents where they were alone. "It's alright," he reassured him, free hand cupping Niek's cheek as he stepped closer, letting the other Ombrelune feel his warmth. "Just take a few breaths, sweetheart. Close your eyes. Focus on us. No one else matters." He kissed his boy gently on the tip of his nose, silly and affectionate. "Niek I know you. All I want is all you are. I'm not running, Aroha."

Nieks was, well, as perfect as they came. Well, almost. Tane's control over him only solidified in situations like these, when the more nervous Ombrelune latched onto him, and couldn't pull away. It was times like these that Nieks hated when Tane did this to him. He couldn't run, he couldn't pull, and the only thing he needed was safety. That meant Tane. Slowly reworking himself over the last few months, Nieks felt a little disoriented whenever Tane wasn't around, when the older boy was gone, or when their separation was clear. It was strange laying in bed by himself, covered in clothes; he still felt cold, even with a sweater, and the duvet over his body. He missed the warmth of Tane's arms at those times, the ones that wrapped so protectively around him and dragged him oh so closer and he shifted as he thought, his face turning red. How often, in the last few weeks, had Nieks stayed up far passed curfew trying to sleep, and batting away the urge to slip out of his bed and into Tane's. It was absolutely terrible.

But now, now there was no place for Nieks to run. Tane had led him along, strung him by a hook, and had him reeling like a fish. He was too drained to fight most of Tane's suggestions anymore; the boy was in his head, in his heart, and consumed his soul. He went along most of the time without any real thought about it, so it was no surprise that he was already feeling super wound up and super off put at the carnival and circus that they went to. Tane was rambling on about how he wondered if they would still be friends had they met earlier, and then going on about how Nieks was probably different before coming to Beauxbatons. Not really. Not really at all, the Dutch boy told himself. He had no friends before he came to Beauxbatons, and he barely fit in with his family. He was a disappointment, and secluded himself to his room except for family gatherings, holidays and meals. It wasn't like Nieks was really wanted...

And then it just kept going. The angst and the drama and the feeling of worthlessness. It grew in his chest and pulled, tugged at his heart with a force so violent it felt like Nieks wanted to throw up. He stumbled as he was tugged along, into a small space between two tents and just him and Tane and their body heat that warmed it. The Dtuch boy reveled in the reassurances as his arms moved, wrapping themselves tightly around his best friend as he tried to get a hold of himself, although Tane was guiding him. Subconsciously, and oh so dedicate, Nieks obeyed. He took a few breaths, slow and steady, as his whole mind zoomed to try and focus on Tane. His eyes. His hair. His breath. The warmth. His heartbeat. Oh, Nieks could feel the heartbeat through layers of robes, and the warmth of blood pushing through veins and arteries. Tane wasn't running, and he wasn't letting Niek run. He was a tether and Niek was locked up tight. Nieks had literally, nowhere to run.

He gave a sigh, and buried his face against Tane's clothes, his heart racing to try and calm himself down. His shoulders slumped. After a minute, he simply pulled away and struggled to naturally find Tane's hand. "S-S-Sorry..." he murmured. Uneasy. Unsure. But completely safe, wanted; needed.

Tane held Niek tightly, letting the other boy know in actions as well as words that he was wanted. Here, with Tane, Niek would always be needed. It was something the slightly younger boy struggled with constantly. It seemed like Niek always needed that reassurance. No sooner was Tane convinced that he had shown his lover that he was important to him then Niek started to pull away again; always running, always nervous. And as much as Tane hid it, that hurt him. Of all the people on Earth, Niek was the only one who could see through just about any lie Tane could come up with so why did Niek try and hide from the truth about how Tane felt for him?

Still, Tane couldn't help but chase after his reticent lover. He would catch him and try once more to convince him to stay, to let himself be loved. Ah, well, he thought as he carded his fingers through Niek's soft hair, the one gesture that always calmed him down, maybe this time he'll see it.

Niek pulled away after a bit, and Tane reached out to meet his seeking hand, fingers once again lacing together, locked palm to palm. "It's alright, Aroha," he replied with a gentle smile. "Let's find that Fun House, shall we?" Leading the way again, Tane walked more slowly this time, keeping pace with Niek, his warmth a comfortable bulkhead on his lover's right side. "Why are they called 'Fun Houses' do you think? I thought they were more like mazes, and suppose to be a bit spooky? It doesn't sound like a lot of people's idea of fun..."

The conversation went on like this as they walked, Tane coming up with little topics to keep Niek's distracted and focused on him while they moved through the grounds. Finally, they came to the Fun House, its facade full of color splashes and mirrors. The line was short, surprisingly, and after only a few minutes Tane handed their tickets to the person manning the stall. Since this was a date, Tane was paying for everything, happy to have something to spend his decently-large allowance on. His family wasn't rich but they were far from poor and each of the Roux children were given a certain amount of money and expected to handle it on their own. Tane, the more business-minded of the three siblings, always invested whatever monies were left at the end of the quarter which meant he always had his own stash of funds to pull from in case of situations just like this.

Once their tickets were taken, the door to the Fun House slowly swung open, revealing a dark interior. Tane squeezed Niek's hand and they stepped inside...

No matter how many times Niek ran, Tane always followed. He was always there to snatch up the slightly older Ombrelune, always ready with new and creative ways of pushing Nieks back. Never did he ever corner the boy and pull him from that scary hole, but there were times where it felt like it. It was like a maze that they ran together. Nieks ahead, Tane after, with the map. Nieks would find himself at a dead end, and then Tane would step along, take his hand, and lead him back to the right path. It was a terrible, but oddly comforting, feeling, despite the fact that the Dutch boy hated it sometimes. But he still listened. He still let his fingers ease into Tane's clothes to anchor himself, and he still leaned into Tane for the boy's natural warmth. Tane always felt so much warmer. He thought about the fact that after this date, once they got back to Beauxbatons, Tane would guide him into their bed, and Nieks would be wrapped around that warmth so much more. He wondered why that was. Why was Tane so addictively warm and always smelled good and... oh, Merlin, Niek's face painted red as he thought about all of this.

But even so, once they pulled away, Nieks' own eyes were glued to the ground. Tane's steps were shorter, more even as he walked, and Nieks' could feel the warmth pressed against him. It traveled up from their laced fingers and palm to palm hands, and up his arm and down his shoulder. He wanted to lean into Tane so that his best friend's arm was over his shoulders, and he could lean oh so subtly into Tane's side. But that was stupid. It was a stupid thought that crossed his mind and he shifted as they walked. He heard Tane's question about the fun house, and he shrugged his shoulders, "B-Because it's filled w-with things that are s-supposed to be fun," he pointed out, quietly. He barely whispered it. but knew that Tane heard him. They weren't in a very populated spot, and while the music was loud, their surroundings really weren't.

They arrived soon after that, and Nieks chewed on his lip as he watched Tane hand over the tickets. The younger boy was adamant about paying for everything -- as seen when Nieks went to get his wallet to pay for his own way in, and Tane had already purchased two tickets for it -- and the Dutch boy huffed. He squeezed Tane's hand gently as they stepped inside, and it took a moment for Nieks' eyes to adjust to the dimness around them.

The first part of the fun house was similar to a mirror maze, although it was dark greens, purples and blues that lit the way. Nieks laughed a little, his shoulders easing and he tugged Tane into the obvious start line, "C-Come on. We have to get through. Hold your hand out and tell me if you find a hole," he added. Now that they were in the confines of a space, by themselves, Nieks was feeling a lot more comfortable, and a lot more open to lead at least a little bit. And, by Merlin, he was going to have fun.

As Niek dragged him forward into the darkened maze, Tane smiled. His lover's laugh made his heart squeeze, a feeling he had more and more often around his best friend now that they seemed to be making some progress towards a more intimate and stable relationship. It was a good feeling to see Niek happy and easy with him. It didn't happen often but Tane liked his boy's open smile. He loved his boy.

Such a strange thing, to love someone so broken. Someone so uncertain, even in the face of Tane's own persistent and unfaltering love. But, then again, Niek loved Tane and the half-Maori was far from perfect, although Tane sometimes thought Niek saw him as such. He couldn't know they were each twisting each other into the one person they wanted, their own perfect boy. The Ombrelune couldn't even conceive of such a notion, so perfect was Niek's illusion of control.

Here, now, all Tane felt was a deep affection. Devoid of the sexual desire that usually plagued him, the slightly younger boy could allow himself to feel things he normally couldn't experience without the physical needs of his body tainting them. Just a sweet desire to be near this other boy, always. To belong. To love and be loved. He let Niek lead, taking them deeper into the mirror maze before he tugged the older boy back, catching him in his arms.

Tane took two steps forward, pinning Niek gently against one of the mirrors while he kissed him; gentle, slow, loving. He was in no rush. The soft brush of his lips against Niek's was almost chaste although he couldn't keep a little hint of his passion out of his movements. He kissed Niek like he didn't care who saw them, like he had all the time in the world to do it.

"I love you so much," he murmured against his lover's lips, smiling softly. "I don't know if you'll ever really know how much." With that, he pulled away, still keeping his hand in Niek's. "Lead on," he told the other Ombrelune with a smile. "You're better at these kinds of puzzles than I am."

Deeper into the labyrinth they went. Hand in hand, and hands outstretched, Niek was the leader through the murky depths of bright lights and reflective figures. It was amazing how much partial plastic and not actual mirrors with bright lights made it look so dam complicated. Maybe it was why fingers danced over the illuminated fragments carefully, and the eyes of the Dutch boy constantly found the reflection of his best friend only a step behind. Deeper and deeper, further and further. He was enjoying the way their hands had relaxed; no longer did Nieks cling with nervous anticipation to Tane, but it became a gentle, calm hand hold, as if they were sitting in their favorite little nook in the sun with the unicorn stained glass window, basking in the sunshine. It was the calm, safety net of freedom that they shared. Halfway. They were clearly at the halfway, and there marked three different routes: to the left, to the right, or straight ahead. Before Nieks could make the decision, Tane had moved.

The younger but larger Ombrelune had wrapped an arm around his hips and pulled him back, towards the left. A dead end. Surrounded on three sides by bright baby blue illuminations, and the only other way back to the fork in the road by Tane himself, the Dutch boy's face instantly turned red. Oh, Merlin, why was he so attractive in this light? Fingers moved to wrap into Tane's shirt as the older boy's body pinned his own up against the mirrors, and before Niek could even think, lips were trailing oh so sensually over his own. He didn't quite get the memo to kiss back -- he was more shocked than anything, and he felt the lingering need to pull Tane back more once the other boy was done, but he didn't. He chewed on his lip gently as Tane murmured against it -- I love you so much. Those words made Niek's heart hammer in his chest, and his face turned even deeper red, despite the blue lights that shone above their heads.

"I... I..." he was breathless. Wordless. His free hand reached up to press a light touch against his lips, as if he could still feel Tane against them. He could. He could easily replay the whole scene in his head, and he stood there, stupid, as Tane ushered him into the front again, words of encouragement coming from that gorgeous mouth. The Dutch boy shifted anxiously and squeezed Tane's hand, "I..." he hesitated, murmuring as he pulled Tane towards the right center of the road, not quite sure if the other boy would hear his words or not, but not leaving him hanging, "I l-love you, t-too..."

Blue lights did nothing to hide the deep blush on Niek's face as Tane pulled away from the kiss. The older boy looked dazed, fingers resting gently against his own lips as if trying to keep the memory of contact fresh. Tane liked catching Niek off-guard like this. He liked to see the shocked pleasure on his best friend's face. He liked knowing he could stop Niek in his tracks with just a simple kiss. Then they were moving forward, hands tight on each other.

The words were soft, but Tane heard them and he squeezed Niek's hand gently in response. "I'll never get tired of hearing that," he murmured, just loud enough for his lover to hear. He let himself be led into the next room, this one more pinkish in its lighting style. It was a larger space, surprisingly empty. The walls were decorated alternately with mirrors and doors of different colors. It seemed surprisingly simple. "Well this room is a little disappointing," Tane said with a raised eyebrow as he relaxed his grip on Niek's hand again.

There was a click, then a sudden whirring noise as the walls around them began to spin, the mirrors flashing different colors and the doors opening and closing soundlessly. The floor beneath their feet bucked, sending Tane in one direction and Niek in another as their hands lost their grip in the sudden upheaval. "Niek!" Tane shouted, stumbling backwards and down onto his knees. As quick as he could manage, he was up and running towards his lover, but he was too late. The floor rolled Niek towards the spinning wall of mirrors and doors and Tane watched as his best friend disappeared through an open door.

The Ombrelune adjusted his trajectory, now running parallel with the wall, eyes locked on the door Niek had disappeared through. He increased his speed and threw himself through the door, tumbling into whatever room lay beyond, hoping Niek wasn't already gone through another trick of the fun house.

The little squeeze of his hand and the just loud enough murmur made Niek's face, well, still stay painted red. He led the two of them through the last of the mirror maze, and the slightly older Ombrelune had to blink a few times as the lighting seemed to change. No longer was the room as illuminated as before, but the lights were a totally different style and shade. Along the entire wall, it seemed to be covered in doors and mirrors, all looking like exact parallels to each other. Niek's eyebrows creased as he heard the disappointment in Tane's voice, as well as the gentle release of their hands. Not completely, but enough that what happened next could pull them apart.

Before either boy could seemingly react, the floor shifted underneath their weight. Niek struggled to grab back onto Tane as true, authentic panic wrapped itself in his chest and he was pulled from his best friend. His nails tried to dig into the floor as he found himself flat on his stomach, and he tried as he felt some invisible force vacuum him up towards the doorways. So many doors were opening and closing, a dizzying amount that made Niek feel warm tears settle on his cheeks. No. No, no, no. Definitely no. He tried harder; he heard his name being called out, and he tried to form the words to yell for Tane, but it didn't actually come out. He was too afraid, and by this point, the pink lights had all but disappeared.

He was down a tube, like a water slide one, encompassed by everything around him. Lights flashed as he fell, and his nails felt sore as he tried to get himself to stop. At the end of the ride, he hit the floor, feet first but it still ended up rolling him backwards. He was dizzy. He was afraid and nervous and desperate. He was no longer having fun. Painted along the room in neon colors were clowns; now, Nieks had no problem with clowns, but they way they stared at him was terrifying. They were charmed to constantly be watching those who entered this specific room, and the walls, while tall and imposing, slowly started to close in. The way out: through the mouth of one of the thirteen clowns. Nieks heart raced. He heard the thumps of something falling down the slide, and he scurried away just in time for Tane to land on the ground.

"T-T-Tane..." Nieks basically stammered as he shuffled over to his best friend. He helped the younger Ombrelune to his feet and his arms were wrapped around his chest in a matter of seconds. Safety. Warmth. He took a breath and wiped at his eyes as he pulled away. A robotic voice echoed through the chamber:

"In a certain country ½ of 5 = 3. If the same proportion holds, what is the value of 1/3 of 10?"

What? Math? He looked at Tane, his fingers automatically lacing with his best friend's. The riddle was the clue to what door they had to go through to get free.

The trip down the slide was a disorienting one. Lights flashed, sounds buzzed in the tight space, and Tane tumbled out onto his back. His breath left his body in a whoosh, and he rolled, trying to get to his feet. An oh so familiar voice called out and Tane felt himself being pulled upright before two arms closed around his chest in a vice-like grip. Instinctively, Tane buried his nose in Niek's hair, breathing in his scent. Both their hearts were racing, the half-Maori could feel the organs slamming against their chests, pounding fiercely.

"Oh, thank gods," he murmured, squeezing Niek in his arms tightly, kissing the top of his head. "That was terrifying." Tane leaned down and caught Niek's mouth in a needy kiss before his lover pulled away. "I am so glad I kept my eye on that door," he told him, fingers laced together with Niek's. "I would have torn this place down to find you again."

A voice was speaking, tinny and mechanical. Oh great, math. Tane was usually good with numbers, having his father's more analytical brain, but he was not int he mood right now. His head was clamoring that he needed to get himself and Niek out NOW before they were separated again. His fear made for a distracting inner monologue. He tried to calculate quickly in his head, but he wasn't sure how right he was.

"Six, I think," he replied, not feeling particularly confident but trying to sound sure for Niek's sake. He pulled his lover to the clown in the sixth position, whose mouth opened wide to let them through. He was about to step through when the memory of being pulled apart from Niek reared up again. He knew his best friend would likely hate this, but he wasn't going to risk that happening a second time.

He leaned in and kissed Niek deeply, mainly as a distraction, before scooping the smaller boy up in his arms. "Sorry, sweetheart," he apologized, "but I'm not letting you go until we're safe in the next room." With that, he carefully stepped through the doorway....

And dropped about three feet in a free-fall. Tane yelped, holding onto Niek tightly as seconds stretched into an eternity. They landed in a ball-pit in almost complete darkness. Looking around, Tane saw a door across the room, the only thing well-lit in the entire space. "Oh, that has got to be a trap," he muttered as he put Niek down gently.

The one thing that Nieks did not want to do, was let go of Tane. Quite literally, in this moment, Tane meant safety. It meant that no matter what was going to happen, they would stick together. It was why, even as he pulled away despite his need to stay close, his fingers laced tightly in Tane's own hand, a solid, nervous grip. His other hand pulled on his sleeves. Had this not been so scary, he would definitely be having fun. But as it was, this was far too pressing. Who had fun houses that dropped someone down magically inclining floors and scary teeth like doors? He chewed on his lip as the voice boomed through the room. It made Nieks jump in nerves and his hand felt sweaty against Tane's. This was not fun. He craned his neck back and pondered if they could stick their shoes to get back out. He was not enjoying this.

Nieks was terrible when it came to maths, and he knew that Tane was so much better at it than himself. His neck felt stiff as he looked to his best friend. He tried to solve the math, too, but he was never good at solving it mentally. He tried counting up in his head when Tane gave an answer, and he was so glad that his best friend was so smart. Six it was. Tane led them towards the sixth mouth and the door swung open, a large, black gaping hole that threatened to suck them up. His heart raced. Nerves were rushing through him and he watched as Tane stepped forwards. Before he went through the door, though, Tane was back stepping. Nieks blinked as Tane leaned forwards and their lips were pressed in an oh-so-familiar kiss, and the Dutch boy barely registered that Tane was picking him up. Not until Tane apologized. "I... I c-can w-walk," he murmured. He tried to be convincing, oh, how he tried, but the little part of him who hated this was overwhelmed by the part of him that latched tightly around Tane. Arms wrapped around the younger boy's neck, and he buried his face as they stepped through.

Nieks barely registered that they were dropping until the wind rushed up the back of his shirt. His own fingers dug into the back of Tane's, a grip that turned his knuckles white. They landed in the ball-pit and Nieks nervously looked around as Tane placed him down. The older, yet slightly smaller, Ombrelune's fingers dug even more into the back of Tane's shirt, a safety habit he's always had. He'd let Tane lead; he wasn't thrilled with this anymore. As they moved through the ballpit, it slowly got deeper, and as it went from their waists to the middle of their chest, Nieks felt the nerves creeping back, "D-Don't like this," he murmured. He wanted to go back, to get out. This was not fun. He could feel warmth radiating from down beneath the ball pit and he chewed harder on his lip; if he wasn't careful, he'd break the skin and draw blood. His heart hammered hard in his chest. He stumbled, disappearing in the balls, but his fingers still gripped into Tane, the connection unbroken.

When he managed to get up, he found (and he assumed Tane found, too) the entire room was swathed in colors that radiated dizzily around the room. It made the room shift, as if it grew larger and then shrunk again. Illusions. The door looked as if it had taken up residence even farther away from them, and Nieks shook his head to try and straighten himself up. He murmured against Tane's back, his fingers still holding tight onto the back of his shirt.

"I-I-I'm n-not having f-f-fun..."

This was becoming a very intense experience. Tane wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but he was sure as hell not going to let it get the better of him. If he had been alone he might have panicked or gotten overwhelmed but he had Niek. Niek, clinging so tightly and sweetly to Tane's shirt as they walked through the ball pit. A brief moment of distress when Niek dipped below the level of the pit, but with his hands on Tane's shirt and the half-Maori boy's own strength they hauled him back up.

Colors and distances shifted dizzyingly, and the Ombrelune pulled his eyes away from the ever-changing room to look his lover in the eyes. Niek voiced his thoughts and Tane wrapped the other boy back up in his arms, pressing their foreheads together. "Hey," he said softly. "It's alright. It's only a game. Like that haunted maze you took me through once, remember? I was terrified and I almost punched one of the 'ghosts' right in the face?" He was trying to distract his lover, turn his focus elsewhere. "There's nothing we can't beat, right? My weaknesses are your strengths, and vice-versa. We'll beat this, stuff ourselves full of food, and cuddle on the Ferris wheel." He pressed a brief kiss to Niek's lips. "You and me." He gently untangled himself from his lover. "But first I have to get us out of this room. Stay right here, alright?"

With that, Tane dove into the balls, disappearing beneath the surface and down into the deepest part of the pit where Niek had almost fallen. His hands touched the bottom, feeling for the trigger or hatch he was sure would be there. Ha! Under his hands, a chain and a stopper like in a giant tub. Holding fast to the chain, he made his way back up and over to Niek, smiling broadly. "I found the plug. I've got the chain here in my hand. Hold onto me. I'll pull it and we'll see what happens."