"It's cold."
"It's bracing."
"Yuri, if it were any colder you could use me as brace. I swear I'm freezing."
The long haired male rolled his eyes, "So go buy a cup of hot cider; I've got another few minutes before I'm off."
"What are they thinking keeping the fair open this late in fall?" he complained, leaned against the booth and waiting for Yuri's temporary job to end.
Yuri snorted, "Raking in a profit, apparently. I'm going to see tickets every time I close my eyes for the next two weeks." Flynn opened his mouth to complain about the weather again when Yuri grabbed his hand, "Come on. Shift's over, let's go have some fun."
Flynn let Yuri lead the way, not sure what they should do, and shivered again,"How can you stand these temperatures?"
Yuri gave one of his signature shrugs, "I ran away from a bad foster home one winter, I've been colder than this."
Flynn's chest clenched. He hated how casually Yuri mentioned things like that. He was glad he was trusted enough for the other to share parts of his past, but the lackluster way Yuri waved off things that would break most other people was painful.
Flynn was dragged first to the hot cider stand, where Yuri gave him a cup of the stuff to help warm him up; and he sipped at the hot liquid while Yuri tried to buy out the cotton candy stand. Ten minutes later, Flynn a bit warmer and Yuri hopped up on enough sugar to power four six-year-olds, they moved on to the games. Flynn was honestly surprised by how many people were around, Yuri caught the look and grinned at him, "Everyone wants to get out for one last bit of fun before it's too cold to do anything."
Before he could say something biting about how it was already too cold to be out by the ocean, he was dragged into playing carnival games with Yuri. The dark-haired male knew all the tricks after working here for a few weeks and whispered how to get around them into Flynn's ear when it was their turn. The milk bottles were no obstacle for Yuri and his outstanding aim, ring-tossing fairing no better; they walked away with a mushroom plushy that was destined for Repede, and Yuri was now sporting a pair of black bunny ears that he'd won. Flynn couldn't look his way without smiling and snickering– which, when he thought about it, may have been why Yuri got them.
"Cheery enough now to tell me what has you so down?"
Flynn sighed, "Just exams. Half of my teachers want their assignments turned in before the break so they have time to grade them over it, I suppose, which is more time that I need the library for research. Which is costing me money because this is one of the best times of year for the shop when people start checking around for odd gifts to get inspired. I'm also just... Christmas used to be this really big thing for my family, and though this is hardly my first year without them–"
"You still miss your parents. It's understandable. Consolation prize: you've got me and Repede, at least."
"You aren't a consolation prize." He missed Yuri's shocked look as he pulled him forward to try out that bell-ringing thing he'd always heard of. Flynn took up the hammer, lifted it high, and let it crash down with as much force as he could... and didn't quite make it. He sighed in disappointment and gave it to Yuri to try next. Yuri hefted the hammer and gave it his best shot... and didn't make it beyond the half-way point.
Dark eyes glared down at the hammer, "They're cheating, I know it. Who in the world is strong enough to hit that thing with enough force to ring the stupid bell?"
"It's a carnival, Yuri, they're kind of notorious for cheating. What can you do about it?"
Yuri looked from the sledge to the bell and back, then grinned, "There's only one thing to do when your opponent cheats. Cheat better." He handed over two more of the tickets he'd been paid in and pulled Flynn over with him, when the woman made to step in Yuri pinned her in place with a look, "Do you have our tickets?"
"Yes..."
"Then it's our turn." Yuri stood Flynn in front of him until he took the handle, then slid his hands in with Flynn's and looked at him with a grin, "Ready?"
The blonde nodded, ignoring the heat Yuri seemed to be radiating– no wonder he wasn't cold, he felt like a furnace! "Ready." They lifted up and the same time and brought it down together with all of their combined strength.
Ding!
Yuri crowed with laughter and jumped up, "Ha!" he beamed hugely and turned to the prize booth with his arms crossed, "If you're going to cheat, dammit, cheat fair." Flynn smiled at Yuri's enthusiasm, and accepted his own pair of bunny ears graciously.
They walked from stall to stall after that, spending more time talking than playing: Flynn's mood was a lot brighter now. Yuri seemed to have that effect on him, "Estelle wants to decorate the whole university to 'encourage holiday spirit' and Rita's been trying to talk her out of it since she first brought it up. I've been staying out of it entirely."
"Why?"
"I am not about to put myself in the middle of two women with opposing agendas: I may be blond, but I'm not that blond."
Yuri's question came between his snickering, "So who are you actually hoping will win?"
"I don't know, really. I like the whole holiday decorations, but I don't want to be part of the group putting them up everywhere..."
"That's a sentiment I can understand. Come on, let's head back, you're starting to shiver and Repede is probably climbing the walls."
"Just when I was having fun."
Yuri grinned, "Ah, but you see, that's the trick: Always leave them wanting more."
