Looking at her expression, spoke volumes. She didn't need to utter or signal a single thing for him to understand—she was happy.
Winter Wonderland.
Beside him, Charlotte's gaze lingered on the sign, her expression momentarily distant. She lifted her hands to signal, "Arthur, you remembered."
Arthur smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "Of course, I remembered," he said, his voice warm.
This was the place that Charlotte had wanted to come to long ago, back when their world was different, before the accident that took their parents before... everything fell apart.
Charlotte's gaze softened, but Arthur quickly shifted the conversation, not wanting her thoughts to wander into the dark shadows of their past.
He grabbed her hand with both of his and tugged her forward. "Come on, let's see the wonders of this place!" he said, his tone cheerful.
Charlotte's scarf covered her mouth, Arthur did not notice the crinkle at the edges of her eyes, it was a genuine smile.
Had he seen her whole face, it might've stolen his breath.
It wasn't just any smile, it was real, the kind of smile he hadn't seen in years. But her expression quickly disappeared into her usual calmness as he pulled her toward the entrance.
As they stepped into the heart of Winter Wonderland, bright lights circled above rows of painted horses and other fantastical creatures as a tune played out.
Arthur turned to Charlotte with a grin. "What do you think? A little nostalgia to start things off?"
Charlotte looked at the spinning carousel and signed, "I've never ridden one before."
"Well, today's your chance!" Arthur exclaimed, already leading her to the ticket booth.
Moments later, they stepped onto the platform, and Arthur helped her onto a gleaming white horse adorned with gold detailing.
He chose a dragon next to her, its wings spread wide.
'Only if I got a primordial dragon instead of that lazy cat, I would have probably finished the game by now,' He thought with a wry smile, as he remembered Neko's lazy and arrogant attitude.
'Well I can't be completely ungrateful, she did save me from sunless...even though it was by mistake,'
As the ride started, Charlotte's usual calmness melted away for a moment, her eyes lighting up as the carousel gently spun.
Arthur leaned toward her. "Not bad, right?" he teased, holding onto the dragon's neck.
Charlotte rolled her eyes playfully, her hands gripping the pole tightly as the horse rose and fell in a smooth rhythm.
She signed at him mid-spin, "You look ridiculous on that dragon."
Arthur laughed loudly, his voice mingling with the soft music.
"Ridiculous? You're just jealous mine has wings!" The sight of her holding back laughter made him grin wider.
...
"That was fun," Arthur said, as they left the carousel and walked around some more to find their next ride.
After a few more stalls, Arthur spotted something, smirking as if he had an evil plan he pointed at it and told Charlotte.
Charlotte's gaze followed his signal, and she signed, "You're kidding. This roller coaster looks scary,"
Arthur smirked. "Nope. Let's do it."
Charlotte hesitated, looking at the ride, but Arthur nudged her shoulder gently. "You trust me, right?"
With a faint sigh, she nodded, allowing him to lead her into the line.
Soon, they were seated, the harness snug against their chests as the ride started.
Arthur could feel her tense beside him, her fingers gripping the edges of the seat.
"Don't worry," he said feeling slightly upset that he made her this worried, "that'll be over before you know it."
'I shouldn't have made her this scared, what if this ride makes her health worse? Damn it, I should have been more careful,'
The cart ascended slowly, the clicking sound of the chain lifting them higher and higher.
Arthur glanced at Charlotte, her eyes wide as she stared at the view ahead. "Hey, it's just a big slide," he joked trying to ease her mood. "You like slides, don't you?"
Her glare was, enough of an answer.
The drop hit suddenly, the cart plummeting down the first hill. Arthur let out a whoop, the wind whipping through his hair.
He glanced at Charlotte and saw her gripping the harness, her expression frozen in surprise before it shifted into something unexpected—a wide, unrestrained laugh.
The ride twisted and turned, flipping their stomachs and sending their hearts racing.
By the time the ride screeched to a halt, Charlotte was shaking her head with disbelief, but there was a brightness in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
Arthur felt somewhat better as he looked at her as they stepped off. "Not bad, huh?"
Charlotte signed, "You're insane."
Their final ride of the evening was the Ferris wheel, as the wheel began to lift them high above the park, Arthur leaned back in his seat, letting out a deep breath.
"This is nice," he said softly, looking out at the twinkling lights below. Charlotte nodded, her gaze fixed on the cityscape that slowly moved further from them.
The two of them were lost in their own thoughts.
Arthur glanced at Charlotte, noticing the way the soft light of the moon highlighted her pale features.
"Charlotte," he said suddenly, his voice low.
She turned to him, her eyes questioning. "Thanks for trusting me today. I've enjoyed today a lot, and I really hope we will be able to enjoy ourselves like this in the future."
She gave him a small smile and signed, "Thank you,"
After stepping off the Ferris wheel, Arthur led Charlotte towards some food stalls.
The stalls were alive with activity, selling everything from hot chocolate to steaming bowls of soup.
Arthur paused, turning to Charlotte with a grin.
"Alright," he said, gesturing to the stalls. "Your turn to pick. Something tasty but healthy, okay? I know what you're like when you see sweets."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, a faint hint of mischief in her eyes as she scanned the different vendors.
Her gaze stopped on a stall advertising crepes. The vendor was folding paper-thin crepes around fresh fruits and light yoghurt.
Arthur nodded approvingly. "Seems like a good choice."
At the stall, Charlotte pointed at a crepe filled with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and a drizzle of honey.
The vendor added a dollop of whipped Greek yoghurt on top, creating a balance of sweetness and healthiness that satisfied them both.
When it was ready, Arthur handed the vendor a few bills and turned back to Charlotte. "Looks amazing," he said, his tone slightly envious. "I should've gotten one for myself."
"Let me go back and get one real quick," He said but was quickly stopped as Charlotte held his hand stopping him.
Charlotte smiled behind her scarf and handed him a piece with her fork, her expression teasing as if saying, "Don't complain, we can share this."
Taking a bite, Arthur's eyes widened. "This is… so good!" he said, his mouth still full. Charlotte nodded, taking her own small bites.
They sat on a nearby bench, sharing the crepe and watching the Winter Wonderland lights twinkle around them.
Arthur enjoyed the moments fully with Charlotte, knowing that what was coming was going to be tough and he needed to be strong to not crack under the pressure.