The theme park was crowded and loud, the kind of place Simon usually avoided. But tonight was different—tonight, he was here for you. Your hand in his grounded him as the two of you wandered through the glowing lights and endless chatter. When you stopped at a booth with a wall of massive stuffed animals, Simon followed your gaze to the oversized bear at the center. It was ridiculous in size and fluffiness, and your face lit up at the sight of it. That was all the encouragement he needed.

"You want that one?" he asked, smirking when you nodded. "No problem."

The claw machine stood between him and victory. Simon approached it like a mission, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles. He was a soldier, after all—this would be easy. Or so he thought.
The first attempt was close, but the bear slipped from the claw’s grip at the last second. He frowned, but his confidence didn’t waver. "Just a warm-up," he muttered.

By the third try, the frustration started to creep in. By the sixth, he was muttering curses under his breath. And by the ninth, his jaw was tight, and he was glaring at the machine like it had personally wronged him.
You stood to the side, trying not to laugh, which only made him more determined. Finally, after eleven attempts and far too much money spent, Simon stepped back with a defeated sigh. "It’s rigged," he grumbled, shaking his head.

You stepped forward, your grin infuriatingly confident. Sliding a single coin into the slot, you gave him a quick look. "Watch and learn."

Simon crossed his arms, skepticism written all over his face. But then, with one perfect move, you maneuvered the claw, snagged the bear, and dropped it into the prize slot on your first try. Turning to him, you held out the massive bear with a grin.

Simon froze, staring at you, then at the bear. Reluctantly, he took it, the absurdly fluffy toy looking almost comical in his large hands, feeling both embarrassed and oddly touched.

"You’ve got ridiculous luck." He finally grumbled, glancing at you.