Noah and Micah stepped through the supermarket doors, and the cold air hit their faces. Micah looked around in awe at the thousands of items on each shelf. All kinds of food stood on the shelves, and to Micah this was a nourishment wonderland.

“Welcome to the supermarket, Micah!” Noah said, grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the cart area.

Micah was still awestruck when Noah handed him a cart to push around. Unfortunately, Micah didn’t know what it was and stared at it like it was some kind of hostile creature.

“Noah, what is this for?” Micah asked, poking it as if it might suddenly bite him.

“Look around and you’ll see,” Noah said, already walking ahead with a smile.

Any normal being would understand what a shopping cart was for. Micah, however, was not normal, and out of the thousands of people walking around, he spotted a baby sitting in one.

His conclusion?

He was supposed to ride in it.

Meanwhile, Noah was a few feet ahead grabbing some fresh green peppers when he turned to place them in the cart. He expected to see Micah standing next to him with the cart in hand like a normal adult.

Instead, he found Micah sitting inside the cart like a fully grown toddler.

Noah’s eyes widened with shock and something very close to amusement.

“Micah! Why are you in the cart?” he hissed, grabbing his arm to pull him out, but Micah was not budging.

In fact, he just smiled innocently.

“But there was a baby riding in there! I wanna ride too! It looked fun.”

Noah stared at him in disbelief.

“Do you see yourself as a baby? Seriously, you need to get out. You’re too big!”

Micah pouted and made the biggest puppy-dog eyes Noah had ever seen.

“Please?”

“No. Now get out of the cart.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Micah, step out of the cart. I, uh… I’ll get you food after this!”

Micah’s expression brightened instantly, and he leaped out of the cart.

Noah sighed in relief. “Now come on. Push the cart.”

Micah obeyed instantly and followed like a loyal puppy as Noah filled the cart with vegetables. His eyes lingered on the families passing by, placing their little girls into the cart seat.

“Humans do that often?” he asked curiously.

Noah glanced over quickly. “…Yeah.”

“Looks nice.” Micah glanced back one last time, his heart aching in a way he didn’t fully understand.

Finally, they headed to the medicine aisle where Noah grabbed some headache medicine.They passed right by the condom aisle.

Noah turned to place something else in the cart, and Micah had disappeared completely.

Noah whipped around and immediately started panicking.

Where could he have gone?

He walked back an aisle and found Micah holding a golden box, reading the instructions. Noah turned tomato red and swore his soul left his body.

“Micah. Put it down.”

“Why?”

“Just put it down, please!”

Noah was so embarrassed now. “But what is it? And what does ‘ribbed for extra pleasure’ mean?”

Noah stalked forward and snatched the box from his hands, red to the tips of his ears.

“That… is a lesson for another day. You don’t need to know right now.”

Micah didn’t question it and simply continued following Noah.

“Please stop taking detours, okay?”

“Okay!”

The shopping trip ended quickly from there. Noah tried to avoid the aisles with suspicious items, as he was not in the mood to explain what certain things were. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop Micah from asking strange questions, like why cereal boxes had tiger mascots on them, which, to be fair, was a valid concern.

Because why?

They paid for their groceries, and Micah carried them effortlessly as they passed by a nearby café for brunch.

The overhead bell chimed softly as they stepped in. Micah walked in, eyes studying every detail, and although Noah couldn’t see it, he was listening to every sound: the soft hum of the coffee machine, the murmur of conversations, and the sweet smell of food.

Noah ordered three scones and two lattes before sitting down in a booth with Micah.

Unfortunately, the man had discovered the little container of half and half and was determined to drink them all. Which was why Noah was glad that the cashier called them over for their orders. Hopefully the waiters didn’t notice anytime soon.

On the walk back home, just a few blocks away, they passed through quiet streets with the occasional car drifting by. They walked right by a park, and Micah did a double take and practically dragged Noah back.

His eyes were sparkling with excitement as he took in the contents of the park: monkey bars, slides, and most importantly, swings.

Children of all ages ranging from three all the way to fourteen were playing with friends and family without a care in the world. It was honestly nostalgic.

He’d been seventeen when he’d last gone with his mother for a family picnic. After she died, the park became another place that belonged to memories instead of people.

Noah hesitated, but Micah grabbed his sleeve and brought him into the park. Noah placed the shopping bags on a shaded table while Micah paced eagerly. By the time Noah got ready to sit down, Micah was already on a swing looking more joyful than Noah had ever seen him.

“Noah! Come push me!” he called, waving him over.

The blond hesitated for a second before walking over to the werewolf. “Fine.”

He stepped behind the swing set, eyes taking in every detail: the birds chirping overhead, the early morning sun warming his skin.

He gave Micah a light push, and a happy laugh left the man’s lips as he swung forward.

Noah repeated it for a few minutes until Micah jumped off and grinned crookedly.

“Your turn.”

“Eh..?”

Without warning, Micah threw Noah over his shoulder and placed him on the swing, lifting his hands toward the chains.

“W-wait! I… I don’t play on swings.”

“Why not? It’s fun though.” Micah was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Yes… you’re right about that, but…” Noah paused before meeting Micah’s eyes. “It’s for little kids. And I’m an adult.”

“It’s still fun though. Come on, pleaseeeee…” Micah leaned his chin on his shoulder, practically whining now. “Aren’t adults allowed to have fun?”

Noah stilled for one long second at the question. He couldn’t answer, because Micah was right.

Age shouldn’t decide whether you’re allowed to enjoy yourself.

Noah turned slightly, lips pressed into a thin line. He was still unsure, but for Micah… he was willing to try.

“Ughh… Fine. Push me.”

Micah gave him a gentle push forward.

It was the same as he remembered: the creak of the chains, the rhythmic motion.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Man, he missed this. So much. He used to try to do a 360-degree flip on it. That never happened, but he never stopped trying.

So why now? Why, when right here with Micah, he felt like he could be a little kid again? Like he could be an adult and still feel eleven years old?

His grip tightened on the chains as Micah pushed him a bit harder, and he pumped his legs.

As promised, Micah stopped, wearing a smug smile. “Was that fun?”

“Yeah. You were right. It was really fun.” Noah admitted fidgeting with his sleeve.

Micah tried to speak, but his stomach rumbled with hunger. Noah giggled as he stepped off the swing.

“C’mon, let’s go eat.”

Micah grabbed his arm and they started running toward the table. When they arrived, Micah hadn’t broken a sweat and looked perfectly fine and relaxed, while Noah was already wheezing.

He shot the werewolf a look before digging into the bag and handing Micah his meal. They ate in comfortable silence as birds flew overhead and sunlight streamed through the trees, casting a soft glow across Micah’s face.

“So… what did you think about your first park experience?” Noah asked.

Micah took a big bite of his scone and chewed before speaking. “It was very fun. I wish we had those at home.”

Noah smiled faintly. “What do you guys have at home?”

“We play pirates and we catch tiny fish for fun,” Micah said, his voice full of nostalgia.

Noah listened carefully, nodding along before speaking. “Well then… maybe we can come here more often.”

Micah beamed, brighter than the sunlight on his face. “Really?!”

“Yep. We’ll go during the weekend when I’m free.” He lifted his latte, still warm in his palm, and took a small sip. The cream melted on his tongue, and his lips curled upward.

Today was something else. Calmer in a special way, despite the chaos that had happened.

And Noah… he wouldn’t have it any other way.