The next few days felt like they were dragging on forever. Zain found himself checking his phone way more than usual, waiting for something from Theo. It wasn’t like he expected Theo to text him every second, but every time his phone buzzed, his heart jumped. He told himself it wasn’t a big deal. Just a friend, right? But it felt like something more. It felt... different.
When Saturday finally came, Zain was practically bouncing off the walls. He spent way too much time picking out an outfit, trying to look casual but still put together. It was just the fair, but he couldn’t help it. He was nervous. And excited. And just... kind of freaking out a little bit.
Theo picked him up later that afternoon. As soon as he pulled up in his car, Zain took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He hopped in, and they were off. The drive was mostly chill. Just the usual small talk about school and random stuff. But Zain couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Theo. He had this way of looking straight ahead with this half-smile, humming along to the music, and Zain’s heart kept doing that stupid flutter thing that he hated.
They got to the fair, and Zain couldn’t help but stare at all the bright lights and the people running around. Kids from school were everywhere, but it didn’t even matter. He was with Theo, and that was all that really mattered.
“So, what’s first?” Theo asked, looking over at him with that signature smirk.
Zain laughed, trying to act cool. “I dunno. What’s the least scary thing here?”
Theo raised an eyebrow. “You’re afraid of the Ferris wheel?”
“Not afraid, just... not a fan,” Zain replied, already regretting his choice of words.
Theo grinned, nudging him with his elbow. “We’ll go easy on you then. Let’s start with the games.”
They spent the next hour wandering from booth to booth, trying to win prizes. Theo was way better at the ring toss than Zain expected. He won this giant bear, and Zain couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re a pro,” Zain teased, taking the stuffed bear when Theo handed it to him.
Theo shrugged, grinning. “I’ve got skills.”
Zain rolled his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips didn’t go away. The rest of the day went by in a blur, random games, a giant neon slushie, laughing at dumb stuff. But the more time they spent together, the more Zain noticed how... easy it was. Like everything with Theo just clicked, even though he’d barely known him for that long.
Eventually, they found a bench near the Ferris wheel and sat down, catching their breath from all the running around. The noise from the fair seemed far away now, like it was just background noise. Theo nudged Zain’s arm again, his voice casual. “So, having fun?”
Zain looked at him and grinned. “Yeah, actually. This is way better than I expected.”
Theo’s smile softened, and for a second, Zain swore it looked like something more than just a friendly smile. “I’m glad,” he said, his voice a little quieter.
Zain didn’t know what was happening between them. He didn’t know what to call it, or what to do with it. But sitting there, next to Theo, feeling the weight of his arm brush against his, he didn’t care. Everything felt kind of perfect, even if it didn’t make sense.
So, Zain just leaned back on the bench, not saying anything else. For the first time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to figure it all out. Not yet. Not tonight.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GTgGK7zOu
