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After the heated bumper car adventure with Saeko, Orion found himself lining up for the Drop Towers with Tatsumaki. As they waited, her arm brushed against his, and though she appeared indifferent, her eyes betrayed a twinkle of excitement.
"So, ready to have your heart drop?" Orion teased, glancing sideways at her.
Tatsumaki huffed, rolling her eyes. "Please, like I'd ever be scared of some silly ride."
Orion chuckled. "We'll see. Heights have a way of bringing out hidden fears."
"Who says I have fears?" she retorted, her eyes narrowing. But she tightened her grip on the safety rail just a tad, and he noticed.
They boarded the ride, the seats lifting them slowly, inch by inch, toward the sky. The air grew cooler, and the people below started to resemble miniature figurines. Orion could feel Tatsumaki's hand drift toward the center console, conveniently close to his own.
"So, how's the view?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes rather than at the panorama below.
"It's fine," she replied curtly, but her cheeks had a light rosy hue, and her hand moved another inch closer to his.
"Only 'fine'?" He pretended to look hurt. "Here I was thinking it'd at least earn a 'spectacular' from you."
Tatsumaki sighed dramatically. "If you're so eager for approval, then fine. It's spectacular."
He noticed the way her fingers now lightly brushed against his. With a smile, he closed the distance, entwining his fingers with hers. She looked away, but not before he caught the slightest smile on her lips.
Orion felt the amusement bubble up within him as he caught the subtleties in Tatsumaki's behavior. Their fingers were now entwined, her nails lightly digging into his skin. He considered it a small victory in their game of unspoken affections.
"Last chance to bail," he teased as the ride's gears creaked, signaling their approach to the top.
Tatsumaki shot him a challenging look. "You wish."
He chuckled. "Very well, fearless one."
The ascent seemed to slow, heightening the tension in the air. Orion's eyes drifted momentarily from Tatsumaki's fiery gaze to the world below. For a split second, it seemed as though time itself held its breath.
"Thinking of jumping?" Tatsumaki's voice was laced with mock concern.
Orion's eyes met hers again. "Why would I? I've got a pretty good reason to stay right here."
"Ah, is that so?" Tatsumaki's eyes narrowed, but her hand squeezed his a bit tighter. "Guess I'll stick around, then."
The ride's mechanism let out a groaning sound, and then they were in freefall. For a moment, gravity seemed to abandon them, and Orion felt like he was floating. A thrill surged through him, but what captured his attention most was the way Tatsumaki's grip tightened on his hand, her eyes meeting his in a moment of vulnerability.
"How's your heart?" he asked playfully as the ride jolted to a stop.
"Still beating," she said, regaining her composure, but her eyes betrayed a lingering exhilaration. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my hair."
He chuckled, leaning in closer. "Well, how about I fix that?"
Before she could respond, he moved his free hand to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Seizing the moment, he pulled her closer and their lips met. It was a quick, electric kiss, one that seemed to linger even after they parted.
Tatsumaki pretended to roll her eyes. "You're such a show-off."
He shrugged, "I aim to impress."
"Consider me impressed," she said, but with a tone of sarcastic indifference. Still, her lips twitched in what could only be described as a satisfied smile.
"As you should be," he grinned, still holding her gaze. The moment was interrupted when the ride operator announced their descent back to reality.
Back on solid ground, Tatsumaki straightened her outfit, but her eyes were softer, glowing even. Orion caught the nuanced change and relished in it. "Well, that was fun," she said, "more than I expected."
Orion looked into her eyes, "The feeling's mutual."
Tatsumaki grinned, her eyes shimmering with newfound enthusiasm. "Once more?"
Orion looked impressed, his eyebrows arching upwards. "I knew you would like it."
Leaning into his ear, Tatsumaki's voice was a soft whisper, her warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. "I want to try something."
"Intriguing," Orion replied, a grin curling at the corners of his lips. "What do you have in mind?"
Without a word, she took his hand and led him to the back of the line for the Drop Towers again. As they waited, her fingers casually played with his, tracing the lines on his palm.
"Your heart line is long," she noted, her tone purposefully nonchalant.
Orion chuckled, "Trying to read my future now?"
"Who says I'm not already in it?" Tatsumaki shot back, her eyes locking onto his for a split second before she averted her gaze.
Feeling emboldened, Orion tilted her chin upwards with his free hand, their eyes meeting once more. "Is that so? Then, what do you foresee for us?"
"A series of drops and rises," she said cryptically but with a certain sparkle in her eye. "But isn't that the thrill of it all?"
Orion couldn't help but laugh, pulling her closer for a quick but meaningful kiss. "The ultimate thrill, I'd say."
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes but the blush creeping on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings. "You're insufferable."
"Yet, here you are, lining up for another round," he teased.
Once again, they were hoisted skyward, the world shrinking beneath them. This time, Tatsumaki's hand didn't just drift toward his; it went straight for it, fingers intertwining.
"Quite the forward move," Orion observed, a smirk on his face.
"You inspired me," she replied, her voice tinged with mock sweetness.
As they reached the summit of their ascent, Orion felt his heartbeat sync with the clicking of the gears above. "Here comes the climax," he muttered, more to himself than to her.
"What was that?" she queried, her ears catching his low mumble.
Orion looked her in the eyes, "Said it's the moment of truth."
The freefall arrived, plummeting them down with exhilarating speed. In that fleeting moment of weightlessness, their grip tightened, eyes glued to each other. When they landed, both were flushed, their hearts racing—but not from the ride.
"Twice as fun the second time," Tatsumaki confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh? Does that mean we're going for a third?" Orion asked, almost as if challenging her.
Tatsumaki leaned in, her lips almost grazing his as she whispered, "How about we take the thrill somewhere else?"
Orion's heart did a little leap. "I like how you think."
Once again, their lips met, sealing a pact of unspoken plans and thrilling adventures yet to come. As they stepped off the ride, both knew that the real excitement was just beginning.
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