Lucien scrambled out of bed, his aches forgotten. "I've never actually been to one!" He stopped, scanning Leon's suit from head to toe. "You're wearing that to an amusement park?"

Leon glanced at his reflection. "Is it a problem?"

"It's like wearing dress shoes to a stadium, Leon. Go change."

Leon sighed, though he looked amused. He headed for the walk-in closet, clearly disappointed he had to leave the tie behind.

Lucien inhaled two bowls of congee and a plate of buns. He hummed a tune as he laced up his sneakers. "I thought you didn't want me going out," he muttered.

Leon froze mid-motion. His hand stayed on the door handle. "You noticed?"

Lucien stood up, brushing crumbs from his hoodie. "I'm not a total idiot, Leon. When I wanted the supermarket, you said we had a butler. When I wanted Jamie, you said there was a blizzard. When I wanted dinner out, you said the chef was better."

Leon stood like a statue. His Adam's apple bobbed as he waited for a verdict. He looked like a man expecting a knockout blow.

He was terrified Lucien would look at him with hatred. He was terrified of the word 'suffocating.'

Lucien looked up. His expression was flat. "Are you going to open the door, or are we waiting for the line to get longer?"

"You aren't... angry?" Leon's voice was a rough scrape.

"Why would I be?" Lucien shrugged, adjusting his backpack. "I know you like me. You can't stand being away from me for a minute. I guess I just have to be the patient one."

Leon exhaled, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. He caught Lucien's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Thank you, baby. We'll go to Switzerland for skiing next week."

"Yes!"

The park was packed despite the winter chill. Lucien was a blur of motion, his head turning at every bright light and scream from the rides.

Leon traded their tickets for wristbands. "What first?"

Lucien pointed to the drop tower. "That one!"

Leon frowned, looking at the height. "Too dangerous."

"Then the roller coaster."

"It's too cold," Leon countered. "The wind will give you a chill."

Lucien stopped walking. He stared at Leon, his face going completely expressionless.

Leon caved instantly. "Fine. Whatever you want."

They queued for the coaster. Lucien gripped Leon's hand as the staff checked their harnesses. "You can scream if you're scared," Lucien whispered. "I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

"I'm not nervous."

"Then why is your palm sweating?"

"That's your sweat, Lucien."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—"

The coaster plummeted. The wind ripped the breath from Lucien's lungs. He was easily the loudest source of noise in the park.

When the ride finally rattled to a stop, the safety bars clicked open. Lucien didn't move. He looked at Leon with wide, watery eyes.

Leon suppressed a smirk. He reached over and scooped Lucien out of the seat. Lucien immediately wrapped his arms around Leon's neck, burying his face in the crook of the man's shoulder.

"Look at you," Leon teased, rubbing Lucien's back.

"That was terrifying," Lucien muffled. "My heart is in my throat."

"No more of those. Let's get something warm to drink." Leon carried him toward the rest house, Lucien's legs still feeling like jelly.

The lounge was quiet. Leon set Lucien in a chair. "Stay here. What do you want?"

"Hot cocoa."

Lucien leaned his chin on his palm, watching Leon walk toward the counter. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the table.

"Lin Yu'an?"

Lucien froze. That voice was a ghost from his previous life. He looked up and saw a man in a black trench coat. The man's expression was a mix of shock and confusion.

Lin Yan. The eldest son of the family Lucien had been discarded by.

Lucien felt a flicker of nerves, then he saw Leon approaching with two cups. He relaxed. "Hi. What a coincidence."

Lin Yan frowned. "What are you doing here? Did you drop out?"

"It's winter break."

Leon stepped between them, a silent, lethal wall of muscle. He didn't look at Lin Yan; his eyes were only for Lucien. "Is this a friend, baby?"

Lin Yan stared at Leon, then back at Lucien.

Lucien remembered Leon calling him "wife" when he was drunk. He straightened his shoulders. "This is my husband."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"I'm not coming back to China," Lucien said, his voice steady. "I'm staying here. I'm fine, and I don't think about the past anymore. Thank you for the tuition. Send me a card number, and I'll pay it all back."

Lucien didn't wait for a reply. He grabbed Leon's arm and pulled him toward the exit. He didn't forget to take his hot cocoa from the table—it was expensive, after all.

Outside, the cold air felt fresh. Lucien let out a long breath. The past was officially dead.

Lucien's mood lightened as he watched the crowd, taking a long sip of his hot cocoa. "It's so good," he murmured, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Leon stood beside him, silent, his steel-gray eyes fixed entirely on Lucien's face.

Lucien blinked, holding the cup out toward him. "What? You want a sip?"

Leon's fingers clamped around Lucien's wrist. His voice was a rough, gravelly scrape. "What did you call me earlier?"

Lucien licked a stray drop of chocolate from his lip. "Don't get hung up on that. You called me 'wife' yesterday. We're even."

"Say it again," Leon commanded, each word dropping like a heavy weight.

Lucien looked around at the buzzing park. "Right here? In front of everyone?"

Leon stepped into Lucien's space, his massive frame blocking out the sun. "You said it in the lounge. Say it now. Be a good boy."

Lucien's ears turned a vivid shade of pink. "That was... special circumstances. I was caught off guard."

Leon's gaze dropped, his expression shifting into something heavy and wounded.

Lucien's heart gave a traitorous squeeze. He tugged at Leon's sleeve. "At home. I'll say it at home, okay?"

Leon's eyes flared with a dark, satisfied heat. He reached out, took the cocoa from Lucien's hand, and sipped from the exact spot where Lucien's lips had been.

"Let's go," Leon said, his lethal casualness returning. "What's next?"

Lucien pointed toward a jagged, dark structure on the map. "Horror Valley. It looks empty."

Leon arched a brow. "You're asking me? The boy who jumps at shadows?"

"The line is short," Lucien insisted, balling his hands into small fists. "We're going."

The line was short for a reason.

Inside, a ghost doctor lunged from a blood-stained curtain. Lucien didn't just scream; he vaulted onto Leon like a startled cat.

Leon caught him effortlessly, his large hands settling on Lucien's rear to hold him in place. "There's an exit right here. We can leave."

Lucien buried his face in Leon's neck, shivering. "No. We're finishing this. I paid for the ticket."

Leon let out a low, vibrating chuckle. "Fine. I'll carry you out."

Lucien opened his mouth to argue, but one glance down the pitch-black corridor killed the protest instantly. He nodded quickly instead, fingers tightening around Leon's shoulders.