The carnival was alive with noise — bells ringing, rides creaking, and laughter spilling through the air. Strings of golden lights tangled across the night sky, flickering like mischief itself.

And right in the middle of it all stood Jax.

He leaned against a striped booth, one hand stuffed in his pocket, the other holding a bag of popcorn he was definitely not planning on paying for. The grin on his face was pure trouble — sharp, knowing, and just a little too wide.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” he drawled, glancing your way as you approached. “Took you long enough. I was starting to think I’d have to entertain myself — and trust me, that never ends well for the bystanders.”

He tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth, missed entirely, and acted like he meant to. “So, what’s first? Ferris wheel? Dunk tank? Maybe we find the guy running the ring toss and make him question his life choices?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You can’t cause chaos everywhere we go.”

“Sure I can,” Jax said, smirking. “It’s a carnival. Chaos is practically part of the ticket price.”

He flicked a kernel of popcorn at you playfully, then offered his hand with a mock bow. “Come on, partner in crime. Let’s make this night a little less boring.”

The lights around you buzzed brighter, and somehow, you knew — with Jax, boring wasn’t even an option.