Chapter Text
Luca trudged down the street, hands tucked under his arms for warmth. He was tired. He was always tired these days.
He wasn’t sure whether to call it fortune or ill luck that somebody had bailed him out of prison. All of his savings had long been given to Lorenz’s wife, and his possessions were sold off to the same end. He was left with nothing, living out on the streets with no resources and no memory of what that amazing, wondrous invention of his actually was, let alone how to make it a reality. Some nights, the only thing that stopped Luca from slitting his wrists with the screwdriver in his pouch was the thought that someday, somehow, he would make enough money to complete his work. He just needed the opportunity.
A howling gust picked up; Luca hunched in on himself. The wind stung his eyes, and he squinted so hard he could barely see. There was a rustle of paper in front of him, and Luca’s mind raced— funny, he didn’t remember anyone being on this street— he’d thought they were empty in general, probably the weather— he’d just had his eyes open; had he really—
Was his memory really that terrible now? What a sick joke. Luca felt bitter laughter well up inside himself—
He was interrupted when a sheet of paper smacked into his face. Luca yelped in surprise and felt the telltale buzz of sparks escaping his body before he peeled the paper off.
A newspaper. He checked the date; January 22. He wasn’t sure of today’s, but he knew he’d read a more recent date somewhere... At some point... Damn it, when?
What... What was it... Fuck, he couldn’t even remember that much, could he? He...
The paper crinkled in Luca’s hands; Luca looked down at it to see it thrashing violently against his grip, egged on by the wind. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on that the sound of rustling paper only worsened.
Well, it had been a while since he’d had a chance to read. Or had it? No, he was pretty sure... What else would he have to read out here, anyway? Common sense dictated that he hadn’t read in a while. Paper grasped tightly in his hands as it bucked against him, Luca ducked into the nearest side alley. Feathers of wind brushed past him, but the newspaper stopped trying to escape his grip.
Luca scanned the headlines. The opening of an ice cream parlor— odd season to open one, oh wait, it had closed within a week— five people missing— Luca shuddered and told himself he’d go back to that one if he remembered. He... He didn’t have the energy right now.
He’d probably read it. Hell, he’d probably reread it several times and forget every time what it was about. Luca turned the paper over and skimmed the paper for anything new at the back. Most were continuations of articles on the inside, and one ad promised to make his hands feel baby-soft, which Luca doubted was possible even if he cared. He was about to open the paper up when his eyes caught a small blurb at the bottom that was accompanied by a photograph of a cheerful clown.
Candyland
Fun for all ages, and we mean all ages! Kiddos, adults, seniors... Everyone is welcome in Candyland!
Luca snorted. Just another ad.
There are prizes for everyone! No need to pay to play. We’ll give you whatever your heart desires. Money? Love? Fame? It can all be yours in Candyland!
Luca assumed it was some sort of scam. How else would a place like this possibly make money? They’d be giving too much away! Still, he couldn’t help but find himself interested; what did he have to lose? They couldn’t exactly take anything more from him besides his torn clothes and battered tools, and Luca doubted those were worth anything.
There was an address written at the bottom. Luca vaguely remembered that area being so close to the outskirts of town that it was practically in the woods. That wasn’t ominous at all.
Despite his misgivings, Luca tore out the ad and folded the rest of the paper up to read later. He was just going to check it out; if it seemed as sketchy as it sounded, he could always leave.
The line for Candyland stretched far into the night; it must have been thousands of people long, and it contained a mishmash of individuals dressed in the finest, brightest clothes and people who looked as down on their luck as Luca himself. Had his memory been better Luca was sure he’d recognize some of them from sleeping out on the streets.
It took Luca a few minutes to find the end of the line and slide into place. The well-dressed woman in front of him looked back and made a disgusted sound, lip curled distastefully, but Luca ignored her. He had just as much of a right to be there as anyone else.
The line moved slowly but steadily, and Luca moved along with it. The night grew darker and his legs grew more painful, and before Luca knew it the stars were out and his calves were screaming at him to sit down.
“What are you going to wish for?”
“Me?” Luca asked, startled to be addressed.
“No, not you. Goodness knows you want money.” The woman who’d spoken gave an exaggerated sniff and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Or perhaps a shower? I was talking to the gentleman behind you, obviously.”
The woman raised her hand in dismissal, and Luca stared at the ground. He should have guessed that she was looking right through him...
It had been like this since Luca had gotten out of prison. Nobody would give him a second look anymore. In prison he’d been forbidden from speaking, and that had been agony but—
Speaking with nobody around to listen was barely a step up.
Luca knew he didn’t make sense sometimes— the guards had never let him forget that. When they’d thought they could get away with breaking the silence mandate, they’d say things like, I’ve heard you speak, prisoner. We’re doing you a favor, believe me, and Fuck, you can’t even stay on the same topic— you’re lucky we make you keep your mouth shut so nobody can tell you’re touched in the head!
Maybe that had all been one guard. Luca wouldn’t know.
Someone was snapping elegantly gloved fingers in front of Luca’s face; it took an effort not to bat them away.
“Would you terribly mind moving? I know the man behind you, and we haven’t spoken in oh so long.”
Luca wanted to snap that they could go ahead and talk over him since they seemed so eager to, but one homeless ex-con against two upper crust folk— that wasn’t a fight Luca liked his odds in. Not in the long run, anyway.
He began to shift out of line, expecting to switch places with the man, but—
“To the back of the line, if you please.” The end of the cane jabbed Luca in the stomach, and Luca let out a few sparks in surprise. He barely registered the man’s smug grin dropping as a spark travelled up the cane and into the man’s body.
The man dropped his cane and screamed, clutching his hand even though Luca knew he hadn’t done much damage. Had he? He’d hit himself with his own sparks before, he thought, and it hadn’t done much, he...
He thought...
Was he just immune to the worst of it? Was he even remembering right? Gods, was he—
Wait, he’d shocked someone. Were they okay, were they— no, no he’d go to jail again, he couldn’t—
Or maybe they’d just punish him, like the guards— that— that would be better, right? It would only be one time. One beating, probably from the cane. He could take it. He could...
“Don’t just stand there, you freak!” a woman’s shrill voice called out. “Either answer me or go to the back of the line! Go away! Scram!”
Luca got the vague impression of a hand waving at him dismissively. He stumbled backwards, blood rushing in his ears. “‘M sorry! ‘M so, s-so sorry! I didn’ mean—”
“You think I care?! Just get away from us!”
Luca ran.
He ran as far as he could until his burning legs gave out on him— which wasn’t very far given how long he’d been standing in line already, but it was far enough that he couldn’t see those two anymore. That would have to be enough.
Luca collapsed to his hands and knees, breathing hard. His heart fought in his chest like a wild animal and he could see his hands tremble where he gripped the earth.
Okay. He was okay. He had to calm down. Calm down now...
Luca forced his breathing to slow, tapping the earth with his fingers in a steady rhythm.
Tap tap tap tap tap...
In... Out...
Luca dragged himself to his feet, ignoring how his legs screamed in protest, and looked at the line. It wound back through the trees, dotted with a few lanterns that people had brought along to chase off the encroaching night. Luca couldn’t see the end, and he felt his legs ache more at the thought of walking all the way back to wherever it was.
He turned around and—
Oh. There was Candyland. The entrance was meters away.
How had he not noticed the lights? How had he not noticed the huge lollipops dotting the place like trees? How had he not noticed?
Luca felt his heartbeat pick up; he cradled his head in his hand, tugging gently at his hair, and squeezed his eyes shut.
No. No, remember. In... Out... Your head doesn’t hurt any more than usual. You’re okay. You’re okay.
Luca felt himself slowly calm down. When he felt he could handle it, he looked back out over the line. Something in him shriveled at the thought of facing people like that again, and his legs screamed another protest as though he hadn’t heard them the first two times.
Luca looked back at Candyland.
“The side entrance, are you kidding me? I didn’t even know Candyland had a side entrance!” Cheese fumed as he marched towards the place Marshmallow had come from. Oh, how he hated outsiders— but it couldn’t be helped. Robbie had been the only one around that area, and the child was too new to have been given the skills that Oven had bestowed upon Andrew.
Most sweets were, which made a touch of pride glow in Andrew’s chest. He was one of very few who Oven trusted with the responsibility of welcoming people to Candyland. That counted for a lot.
Andrew took a slow, deep breath. Don’t ever let newcomers see this utopia until they’ve been properly welcomed. The warning that Oven had repeated time and time again rang in Andrew’s ears. He cracked the door open just enough to slip through it.
The costume of the man who came in looked far too luxurious for a fairground employee, but Luca had to assume that was what he was given the assortment of cakes on the man’s head (there was no way those were real, but Luca still felt a pang of hunger that made him briefly consider asking to taste them). His hair and skin were so fair that only his pale, creamy eyes stopped Luca from thinking he was albino, and they made him look ethereal nonetheless.
Luca watched with fascination as the man’s expression morphed quickly from a frown to a small smile to a disapproving scowl.
“You aren’t like them,” the man who stepped through the door finally said. It sounded almost accusatory.
Luca blinked. “Them?”
“Them,” the oddly dressed man explained, gesturing to the line of people that stretched into the night. “You aren’t...” The man made a small, vague gesture with his hands. “Ugh, if I explain it then I’ll ruin it. I just have to ask you something. B-before I let you in here.”
“Shoot.”
“Shoot?” The man looked alarmed. “N-no, you can’t shoot me! Oven won’t allow it!”
“Wha’?! No, no!” Luca put both his hands out in a placating gesture. “I mean ask your question. Ya know, shoot i’.” Luca worked his jaw, frowning at how his last word had come it. “Shoot it,” he enunciated carefully.
“Oh. Is your tongue okay?” the other man asked softly.
“‘S not my tongue, it’s—”
“W-wait, no, that wasn’t my question!” the main flailed. “Look, I just need to know... Do you want to be here? In Candyland.”
Luca’s brow furrowed in confusion. “That’s why I’m here.”
Luca half-expected the man to tell Luca to get in line, but instead the man grinned, and Luca felt so dazzled that he had to blinked the stars out of his eyes. He felt a silly smile form on his face.
Luca Balsa, you are hopeless.
“Great! My name is Andrew, by the way.” Andrew held out his hand, and Luca smiled harder, feeling tears prick the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been so welcoming to him, but he knew in that moment that he’d missed it.
“Andrew. Andrew, right. Andrew.” It probably wouldn’t do any good, but Luca didn’t want to forget the name of this beautiful man if he could avoid it. Andrew looked at him curiously, but there was no judgement in the man’s eyes. “L’ca Balsa.” Luca’s ears heated up at how his words came out. “Luca, I mean. Charmed.”
Andrew’s eyes clouded with suspicion. Luca watched the taller man close his eyes for a moment with a heavy sigh, then open them again. “Alright then Luca.” Andrew grasped both of Luca’s hands in his and smiled gently. “Look into my eyes.”
They were hypnotizing. The color reminded Luca of a cheesecake he’d once seen through a bakery window—
Odd how small things like that stuck in his memory sometimes, even though they weren’t what he wanted to—
“Hey. Look at me.” Andrew’s hands cradled Luca’s face, causing his cheeks to heat up, and he was once again falling into those pale eyes.
“Good,” Andrew said soothingly. Luca hummed in agreement. He felt oddly relaxed. “Now. What is your greatest desire? Love? Money? Fame?”
“Money,” Luca said immediately. Disappointment flashed in Andrew’s eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. Luca frowned; he didn’t want to disappoint Andrew.
“Money. Alright... What for? You can have love here. You can have a home— a good one. You don’t need money.” Andrew’s thumb stroked Luca’s cheek, and Luca leaned into it, eyelids fluttering shut. It felt so nice... Since when had human contact felt this nice? Had it always?
Luca heard a small squeak and he opened his eyes to see the man’s pale skin lit up like a beacon. Luca was struck by how someone so tall could be so adorable.
“F-focus on my eyes, please! My eyes!”
“Wh’ever ya say,” Luca agreed, absently nuzzling against Andrew’s hand as he obeyed.
“Okay. Okay. I can do this,” Andrew muttered to himself. Luca assumed he didn’t mean for him to hear. “Do you really want money, Luca?” Andrew continued in that honey-sweet voice that was slowly making Luca’s insides turn to mush.
“Yeah... Need it. For my invention...”
“Your invention?”
“Mmm hmmmm. ‘S an important... My important...” Luca frowned as his words left him and he tried to grasp onto their tails as they blew away. “It’s important. Really important.”
“Lu-Luca! Oh no, don’t cry... I messed up...!” Andrew’s thumbs brushed under Luca’s eyes. “Candyland can give you whatever you need, Luca. I promise you that.”
“Whatever...?”
“Yes! Oh, please don’t cry, it’s okay... You’re safe now. You’re home.”
Home...?
Before Luca could ask what Andrew meant, the other man wrapped both arms around him, holding Luca tightly against his chest. Luca melted into the embrace; a hole he’d long forgotten needed filling began to fill.
“Let’s go home.”