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Jo couldn't understand Nicholas. It was hard to fathom that someone could fill up so many of Jo's senses all at once. It was overwhelming. It was a lot to handle. Jo usually didn't do well with overwhelming. But somehow Nicholas never ceased to fill him with this strange yet warm feeling that made everything worth it in the end.
Still, Jo would love to understand him. To peek inside his heart and try to make out what exactly made him Nicholas. But maybe he should start at the beginning of it all.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
i. taste
The very first memory Jo had of Nicholas is tied to the taste of ice cream. Chocolate and strawberry, sticky against Jo's palm under the summer sun.
The day started off as usual. Jo went to university for his morning class and got off somewhere around noon. He had lunch with his close friend, Yuma, and they chatted a bit before Jo had to leave. He was, after all, responsible for picking up his brother from his music classes twice a week. Sometimes he biked to pick him up, but often times he preferred to walk. There was a stream on the way to the music school, and Jo enjoyed the fresh air after long mornings focusing on campus.
The only other thing more exciting than the nice walks he took to get to the classes was the prospect of seeing his brother. Call him cheesy but to Jo, his brother was the cutest little brother on Earth and absolutely nobody could take that title.
His brother Riki— or Maki to his friends because they had one too many Rikis in his class— was an absolute bundle of joy. He had the brightest smile, accentuated by prominent dimples and downturned eyes that made him look even cuter than he already was. He could be pretty mature at times for someone who was six years old, but most of the time he was the cute little brother Jo loved.
And Maki absolutely loved singing. Where Jo drifted towards art, Maki drifted towards anything musical. He was always imitating the idol singers they saw on TV and singing along loudly to songs he knew whenever they were in the car. Which was exactly why their parents enrolled him in these afterschool music classes.
Whenever Jo picked him up, Maki would bound up to him all excited, chubby cheeks wide with a smile. He linked their hands and would ramble about music classes and his friends. There were too many names sometimes, but Jo has the reoccurring friends memorized by heart.
Today should be no different. Jo arrived as usual, exactly ten minutes before pick up time. A couple of parents he recognized greet him in the courtyard and he bowed respectfully at them. He made his way to the usual bench he waited at, content with watching as the courtyard filled with more parents as pick up time drew closer.
Two minutes before pick up time, a ripple of whispers broke through the crowd of parents. It was a deviation from the usual routine, which piqued his interest more than he would like to admit. Jo stood up, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Instead he finds a young man being given a wide berth amongst the rest of the parents. Jo tilted his head. This was new. He had never seen this stranger here before.
Pink, is the first thing Jo registered. Pink hair shining softly under the sunlight, and a rough, ring-laden hand dragging through it. Silver rings to match the silver necklaces around the stranger's neck that rested in the part of a v-neck shirt. A stylish leather jacket rested on his shoulders and dark grey jeans completed the look. A studded belt rested loosely around the man's tapered waist, and he clinked when he shifted from side to side in his combat boots. He looks...lost. A little uncomfortable being in the crowd, or rather by the whispers that emerged from it.
Jo didn't understand the whispers either. From what he could hear, it was all assumptions about the stranger based on his outfit and expression. Doubts that he was here to pick someone up. Talk about delinquents or misbehavior. Things that you shouldn't be assuming about someone at your first meeting with them. It made him want to shake his head at these adults who should know better.
Jo realized he'd been staring too intently when he makes eye contact with the young man. He jolted where he stood before he ducked his head in a little bow. The stranger's expression was a bit cold, sharp eyes darkened with eye shadow and red lips set in a line. Still, he returned Jo's bow and he thought that was the end. Jo will return to his bench, and he didn't have to think about the pretty stranger ever again.
Instead, the stranger walked through the crowd. At first, Jo thought he might be hallucinating, but when the distance between them shrinks more, Jo started to panic. A stranger was walking up to him? Not to mention, a stranger who Jo was just caught staring at? He braced himself for some sort of confrontation, casting his eyes downward when the stranger's boots step in front of him.
Jo had an apology ready on his tongue when the stranger cleared his throat, "Sorry. You're the only one here that looks my age. Can I wait with you?" It…wasn't at all what he expected.
Jo nodded, effectively mute because the pretty stranger had a nice voice. Slightly accented and deeper than Jo was expecting but still nice. Yuma would surely laugh at him if he was here. Being intimidated into silence by a pretty stranger wasn't one of his finest moments. He sat on the bench stiffly, the stranger a good distance away from him.
It was probably a bad idea, but Jo felt the need to at least say something so he let out a small, "Uhm..." The stranger's eyes flit toward his and there was something tense in his posture. Jo wanted to hide, but now that he opened his mouth, he needed to say something at least. He managed to push out his words, "Your outfit. It's unique."
The stranger's eyes sharpened, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Oh. Oh.
Jo didn't mean it in a condescending way, but he saw what the stranger meant when he thought about it. How his words could be twisted in a disparaging way, used as a knife instead of a compliment like Jo meant for it to be.
"I-I'm sorry, that's not—! I just...I think it's cool," Jo finished off lamely, because his ears were burning and the stranger was still staring, staring, and staring. Jo didn't know what else to do or say. He looked down at his own lap where his hands were joined in a nervous huddle.
"Oh," The stranger shifted but Jo doesn't dare look up for fear that he's angry. "Thank you." He doesn't sound angry. Or offended.
Still, Jo ducked his head, trying to get his heart to stop speeding up against his will. It wasn't working, not when the stranger is still right there. He was fiddling with the chain on his pants now and the repetitive sound of it is somehow...calming. Jo took a deep breath and relaxed a bit more when he hears kids' voices start to emerge. Sooner or later, Maki will come running to him and Jo can run— ah, speed walk away from this situation. Then he can forget about the pretty stranger and his failed attempt at complimenting his outfit.
"Jo-nii!" Maki's voice cut through the crowd with sheer volume alone, and he looks up to see his brother waving with his entire body. Maki stumbled a little and Jo flinched. Thankfully, he's hand in hand with his friends, who easily right his balance with a laugh. Jo recognizes the two kids as Harua and Taki, one of the other Rikis in Maki's class. The three were absolutely inseparable, and that was no different now.
As they got closer, Harua's eyes brightened with recognition, "Hsiang-ge!" He let go of Maki's hand, which has his brother tilting his head.
Harua made a mad dash the last few meters…right into the arms of the stranger sat next to Jo. The stranger received him like he had done this hundreds of times. And maybe he really had because Harua settled into his arms, squealing as he was spun.
"Who's that?" Taki whispered, not-so-quietly. "His hair looks like sakura blossoms."
"I dunno," Maki said, also not-quietly. They both turn to Jo like he might have the answer. Jo shrugged. Clearly the two little boys find that to be disappointing because Maki frowns like it was downright offensive.
"I told you guys already!" Harua said, feet finally planted back on the ground with the stranger's hand in his. "My brother is picking me up. This is Nico-nii." Jo almost wanted to faint. What are the odds that the pretty, intimidating stranger that sat next to Jo was the brother of one of Maki's best friends?
The stranger crouched down, tucking himself in so he was level with the kids, "Hello, you two. I've heard a lot about you from Haru. I'm Nicholas." He looked a little different like that, voice pitched higher with a smile on his face.
"Nii-ko-ras isn't a Japanese name," Maki scrunched his nose as he said it. Jo felt like maybe he should've fainted earlier to spare himself the second-hand embarrassment.
The stranger— Nicholas— seemed to take it in stride, "That's because I'm not Japanese."
"Maki, that was rude," Jo quietly added and Maki pouted because he knows exactly what Jo is asking of him.
Maki bowed, hands clasped properly in front of him, "Sorry, Nicholas-niisan, I was rude." Nicholas finally looked up at him again. Right. He didn't introduce himself yet.
It turned out he didn't have to because Harua pointed at him, "That's Jo-nii. Maki's big brother. He's quiet but super nice. He's good at drawing, he drew bunnies for me once."
"He can draw cool dragons too," Taki boasted and Jo felt his ears heating up again. One of his hand goes to cover his ear out of habit.
"Nice to meet you, Jo-san," Nicholas said, the smile on his face resurfacing. His eyes round out and Jo found that he looked less intimidating like this. His smile was...pretty. Jo looked away. Nicholas turned to the kids again, "You can just call me Nico-nii or Nico. Nicholas-niisan is too formal."
The kids were endlessly fascinated by Nicholas, and Jo found himself observing as he interacted with them. Nicholas patiently let Maki and Taki poke around at the belts around his waist, showing them all the accessories on his person. It didn't take long for Taki to wave goodbye, hand-in-hand with his mother and Jo was left with two younger kids and Nicholas.
Jo finally mustered the courage to talk, "Well, I think it's almost time…"
"Nico-nii!" Harua quickly interrupted before folding his arms. "You said you would buy me ice cream!"
Nicholas hesitated, "We can, but..."
"What flavor?" This time it was Maki, his dark eyes looking at Nicholas expectantly.
"A-Any flavor," Nicholas rubbed over his neck. "Hey, Haru, shouldn't you ask Jo-san too? We can't just kidnap Maki."
Harua turned to Jo and gives him his best puppy eyes, which...were actually really adorable. It felt like someone was targeting all the weaknesses he had as a big brother. And then Maki was holding onto the edge of his shirt with his own little pleading expression and Jo's resolve was in pieces.
"Okay, but only one scoop," Jo said, trying to sound stern but doubting that it worked. Maki whooped before high-fiving Harua and taking his hand. Maki and Harua skip ahead of them and Jo swallowed when he's left behind with Nicholas. They fell into step and the silence was welcome, for once.
But then Nicholas chuckled, "Your brother's quite the spirited one, huh?"
"Yeah," Jo could do this. Making conversation wasn't hard. He could talk about Maki all day long. "He's always been like that. Bright and full of energy. Even more so now that he can talk properly."
"Unlike his brother?" There was a cat-like grin on Nicholas' face and Jo knew he was being teased. But it didn't feel bad. It felt like Nicholas was laughing along with him, not at him.
"You aren't the first to say that," Jo stared at the cracked pavement, at the way his footsteps had unknowingly started matching Nicholas' own.
"It's nice, you balance each other out," Nicholas said, and Jo's eyes moved up to his arms. They're casually placed in his pockets, posture relaxed. It made Jo relax too. "It's better than me and Harua. We're like fire and even more fire. We argue and bicker all the time."
"That just means you're close, right?" Nicholas stopped walking. Jo saw the moment it happened because he was still watching him. He stopped too, half a step ahead.
When he glanced back, Nicholas seemed to be studying him before grinning, "I see Haru has good taste in friends and their brothers." It was said so candidly that Jo had to fight not to react. He probably reacted anyway because Nicholas' grin stretches wider.
"So slow!" Jo looked up to see Harua with his hands on his hips. "The ice cream's gonna disappear!"
"Alright, alright," Nicholas called out, before tilting his head to the kids. "Let's not keep the little devils waiting." Jo followed after him in a daze. Nicholas was confident enough in his strides that Jo let him lead. Somewhere along their journey, Maki came back to hold his hand, though it was more to pull him forward than for anything else.
The ice cream shop was hectic and bustling, and Jo pulled Maki to stand in front of him as they order. Honestly, it was all overwhelming in the worst way, filled with loud kids and crying and the whole works of a cheap ice cream shop situated near an elementary school.
By the time they made their way out of the shop, Jo felt worn down. He was holding onto both his cup and Maki's waffle cone as Nicholas opened the door for them with a grin.
"What did you get, Nico-nii?" Maki asked as Jo passed him his cone, staring curiously at the older's cone. It was filled with pink ice cream, the same shade of his hair.
"Strawberry," Nicholas said easily and Jo made the mistake of continuing to look when he brought the cone up to his mouth. He looked away immediately but not before Nicholas' lips part and reveal an equally as pink tongue. Maybe Jo needed his brain lobotomized for the thoughts he was having today.
"Let's go sit at the park," Harua said, still clinging onto Nicholas' pants with one hand, cone of multi-colored ice cream in the other. Maki immediately stuck himself back to Harua's side. Their arms intertwine and it was a precious sight, honestly. It was distracting enough that Jo didn't realize how close Nicholas had gotten.
"Hmm, so you got chocolate." Jo almost jumped thirty centimeters into the air. Nicholas was practically peering over his shoulder. This close, Jo can see that he has a handful of centimeters over Nicholas who continued, "Is that your favorite flavor of ice cream?"
"Um, yes?" Jo forced his gaze forward, focusing on Maki and Harua instead.
"Strawberry's my favorite flavor," Nicholas offered and Jo took the information in. "I don't remember when I decided that, but it had to have been when I was younger?"
Jo felt like he should keep the conversation going. So he spoke again, "Maki always gets cookies and cream."
Nicholas kicked at the ground, "What about you?" It hit Jo in that moment that Nicholas was curious about him. That he was asking because he wanted to get to know him better, or something like that.
"I just…like chocolate a lot since I was a kid," Jo mumbled, feeling a little bit childish in his tastes. Nicholas all but beamed from the answer.
Harua and Maki pushed them onto the benches and they stubbornly insisted on taking their ice cream with them as they went swinging. If it were a busier day, then maybe Jo would've been more wary, but the playground was pretty empty.
They sat in silence, for the most part. Sometimes Nicholas would shout out warnings at Maki and Harua, but other than that, Jo was left to his own devices. It seemed that Nicholas didn't mind the lapses of silence that found them. He would sit there, quietly fiddling with his own chain or one of the rings on his fingers.
He did ask a few more questions which Jo tried his best to answer. About his hobbies or what university he went to. It was startling to learn that they were both enrolled in the same campus. Nicholas was proud to say he was a fashion design student, whilst Jo shyly admitted that he was there for veterinary sciences.
"That's really cool!" Nicholas commented, bringing the cone back to his mouth. Jo knew when to look away now, his eyes sliding back to find Nicholas staring right at him, "You must be really good at memorizing stuff."
"Ah," Jo said, the eye contact completely disarming him. "I just…work hard?"
"And you're humble too," Nicholas scrunched his nose before he nudged his leg with his own. Jo smiled a little at the teasing contact.
Maki chose that exact moment to come back, poking at Jo, "Jo-nii, can I try some?" Maki's cone was long gone, and there were small flecks of ice cream on his cheek. It was most definitely a ploy to get more ice cream but Jo couldn't say no. He scooped a Maki-appropriate helping of ice cream on his spoon. His brother lit up, instantly taking the bite. Harua curiously looked over at Jo's ice cream, and Jo can almost see his brain processing.
"Do you…want to try some too?" Harua looked shocked that someone could read him so clearly. Nicholas clearly couldn't hold back his laugh at Harua's expression, ruffling the younger's hair.
"Xiǎo tù tu, you're too obvious," Nicholas remarked, before nudging him forward. "Go on, ask properly."
Harua's big eyes turned to him, "Can I try too, Jo-nii?" Jo wordlessly held the spoon out, a Harua-sized portion ready for the little boy to eat. Harua happily ate the ice cream, returning the spoon to Jo in no time.
"Now you have to give Jo-nii some ice cream!" Harua tugged at his brother's pants.
"Huh?" It didn't really matter which one of them said it because the bafflement was true anyway.
"As a thank you," Harua insisted. "It's sharing! You have to give some too."
Nicholas made eye contact with him before shrugging, "Well, I don't really mind."
Jo's grip on the little plastic spoon tightened. Really, what was going on? Nicholas was leaning over to him now, bridging the small gap between them on the bench. The ice cream cone was taunting him. Jo could feel his ears heat up. Instead of leaning down to take a bite, Jo chickened out, taking his spoon to the ice cream. He brought the timid scoop to his mouth, and he could practically feel Nicholas watching him.
The ice cream was cold against his lips, the tartness of strawberry almost surprising against his tongue. The morsel melted instantly, leaving behind only sweetness. Oh. So this is why Nicholas liked strawberry ice cream.
"D'you like it?" Harua prompted, and Jo realized that he had been silent for too long.
Jo blinked rapidly, looking down at the little boy with what he hoped was a nice enough smile, "It's…nice. More sour than I was anticipating, but still sweet."
Nicholas ooh-ed from beside him, "You have a knack for describing foods. Now you two need to clean up, there's ice cream all over your faces."
The taste of strawberry ice cream still lingered in Jo's mouth, long after Nicholas and Harua waved their goodbyes. It was weird, Jo was sure that he had gulped down enough water to fill a small fish tank but still it lingered.
Maki swung at their combined hands, "That was fun! Let's hang out with Nico-nii more."
"What?"
Maki looked up at Jo with a grin, "Why not? You like Nico-nii, right?"
Jo had to fight to seem unbothered, "What makes you say that?"
"You were talking to him. A lot," Maki said, matter-of-factly. "No lying! I saw you! Even Haru said you talked like, so many words today."
Jo didn't have any words to refute that, and so Maki continued, "Plus, if Nico-nii and Jo-nii are friends and me and Haru are friends we can be ultra best friends!"
Right. Ultra best friends. That was the important part for Maki. Jo nodded, and Maki pointed that toothy grin at him.
Maki didn't have to know that. No one needed to know about how the taste of strawberries would start to remind Jo of Nicholas. That their first meeting was tied to a taste that would become more and more familiar as time passed.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
ii. smell
The distinct scent of jasmine and nail polish was also tied to a memory of Nicholas. More so the jasmine scent, which reminded Jo of him whenever he encountered it outside of their little meetings.
Jo should've realized that saying 'yes' to Maki that day would result in a lifetime subscription to hanging out with Harua and Nicholas every time he picked Maki up from music classes. The only saving grace that Jo had was that Nicholas was only free enough to pick up Harua once a week. That way Jo had ample time to mentally prepare to meet him.
Honestly, the novelty of Nicholas still hadn't worn off, even though it had been over a month since they started hanging out at the park with their little brothers. Nicholas was an enigma to Jo. Sometimes he was loud, bordering on boisterous and chasing the kids around. Sometimes he was quieter, sitting next to Jo and humming under his breath.
He learned a lot about Nicholas over the past month too. For starters, that Nicholas was very dedicated to outfits of the day. He showed them to Jo once, his collection of pictures of carefully curated outfits that he posted on his social media. Different silhouettes, colors, and styles, all draping over Nicholas like he was nature's most beautiful chameleon— the kind with the ability to look exactly like he wanted at all times. Jo made it a mission to compliment him at least once on his outfit when they met. Nicholas seemed to appreciate it, which only made Jo want to keep it up.
Jo also figured out that Nicholas liked basketball. Honestly his heartbeat skyrocketed when that discovery was made, because Jo loved basketball. It was his other big hobby other than art. Nicholas' eyes had sparkled when he suggested playing together and Jo was almost too quick to agree.
"You want to play with me that bad, Jojo?" Nicholas said, that confident smirk on his face. Jo swallowed back the need to say yes because that would be embarrassing. Instead he tried to play it off.
That was another thing. Nicholas had created a nickname for him almost immediately, at their second or third meeting.
"Look, you can call me Nico, and I'll call you Jojo," Nicholas explained, hands waving in the air. "What do you think?"
Jo hesitated, feeling awfully wrong because technically Nicholas was older, "Uh, I don't think I can, Nicholas-kun."
Nicholas rolled his eyes playfully, "You're too polite! But sure. If you call me Nico, it would make me happy though."
That led to Maki puffing out his cheeks, "What about me?"
"You're xiǎo-dì," Nicholas said immediately. "That means little brother." Maki had spent the rest of the day trying to perfect the pronunciation of xiǎo-dì. Jo himself had gotten into the habit of repeating the Mandarin words Nicholas dropped in conversation sometimes, searching up what they meant as he went.
Nicholas spoke Mandarin and lived in Taiwan most of his life. Jo had gotten curious about it one day, hesitantly asking. Nicholas didn't seem to mind. Instead he seemed happy to share. Harua was his step-brother and Harua's dad was married to Nicholas' mom. His dad and sister still lived in Taiwan after the divorce, already too embedded into their lives to move the way Nicholas wanted to.
"It's kind of fun. I wouldn't change a thing now since everything's fallen into place. Besides," Nicholas turned to him with a grin. "If I didn't move here then I wouldn't have met you or Maki." Jo had shied away from his eyes then, because Nicholas' gaze was still too intense for him sometimes.
Today felt a bit different, because instead of Harua and Maki rushing off to the playground the second they step foot into the park, Harua lingered. He sat himself next to Nicholas, clearly waiting for something as Nicholas dug into his bag.
Maki shifted from the ball of one foot to the other, "What're we waiting for?"
"I'm getting my nails painted," Harua announced, just as Nicholas brandished a few bottles of nail polish. "To match with Nico-nii." Nicholas wiggled his own fingers, black polish with silver detailing covering his nails.
"It's not going to look exactly like mine," Nicholas warned as he shook the bottle of black polish.
"I still wanna," Harua paused like he's contemplating before he spoke again. "Can it be sparkly?"
"Yes, I can make them sparkle," Nicholas said with a laugh as he carefully laid Harua's hand on top of his knee. His bottom lip jutted out in concentration as he swiped the brush over Harua's smaller nail. It was clearly his first time doing this so he was probably trying to be careful. His concentrated expression was kind of cute to Jo. There was a lot about Nicholas that was cute, but Jo didn't have the courage to say such a thing out loud.
Maki, ever the curious had crawled over to sit on Jo's lap, giving him a perfect view of what was going on. He whispered his question to Jo as Nicholas got to painting Harua's third nail, "Is this the thingie that Mama gets sometimes?"
"Kind of," Jo replied, equally as quiet. "Mama usually gets her nails done with clear polish though." Maki nodded, clearly considering as Nicholas finishes up the first hand.
Nicholas ruffled Maki's hair with his free hand, "Do you want to try?" Maki immediately nods and Nicholas grins, "You can paint over my nails if you want."
"Wait," Jo couldn't hold himself back from interrupting. Nicholas was too kind sometimes, allowing Maki and Harua to do too much. "He can paint my hand instead."
Maki positively glowed with the suggestion, "Really? Really really?"
Nicholas raised a brow at him and Jo looked down at his hands. They look so ordinary, devoid of any accessories or color. So very different from Nicholas' hand, stacked with rings and bracelets and personality.
"Yeah. He should do mine," Jo tried to avoid Nicholas' gaze. "Watch him carefully, Maki."
What Jo doesn't expect was for Nicholas to scoot closer, their thighs brushing as he gives instructions to Maki. Jo felt himself freeze in place as Maki leans over to watch Nicholas paint Harua's other hand. Nicholas' voice was calm, low as he runs through the process of flattening the brush and cleaning up the ends. Honestly, Maki's probably not going to retain it all, but the fact that Nicholas didn't mind explaining it to him was admirable. Jo liked that about Nicholas. He took everyone seriously, no matter who they were.
Maki jumped off his lap to rifle through Nicholas' polish collection while Harua admired his newly painted nails. He spun dizzying circles, giggling about how cool they look.
"Hey, not too many spins," Nicholas called out before he nudges Jo's knee with his own. "So are you trying to steal the cool older brother title from me? Are we competing, Jojo?"
"No. It's…you just got those done, right?" Jo looked down at Nicholas' nails, at the glint of silver scattered across them. "I didn't want you to ruin them."
"Ooh," Nicholas said with an even bigger grin. "How cool. So chivalrous." There was this tone to his voice that Jo knew now was teasing and Jo could feel his ears set aflame.
Thankfully Maki saved him from further embarrassment, because he brandished a nail polish bottle, butting into Jo's space, "It's gotta be blue! Jo-nii always wears blue." Nicholas hummed thoughtfully at that, before reaching over to maneuver Jo's right hand onto the edge of his knee. He could've done it himself, really. Jo wasn't a child. But he let Nicholas do it anyway.
"Okay, so first, you need to dab off the excess polish on the edge, like this," Nicholas demonstrated with the black polish. Maki did the same with the sky blue, sticking his tongue out as he set the brush over Jo's nail.
The smell of nail polish hit Jo's nose almost immediately, the sharp sting of alcohol chased by paint. It was odd, it reminded Jo of the times when he was at school working with acrylic paints. Except this time the artist was Maki and Jo was…the canvas? Maki's entire head ended up bent over Jo's hand after a minute, clearly taking his mission seriously. The nail polish was surprisingly cold against his nails as it dried, and Jo tried to be as still as he could be for Maki.
Maki's head almost slammed into Jo's chin when he finally looks up, "Done! What do you think?"
Jo gingerly lifted his hand, turning it to the left and right. It was a bit splotchy in places where Maki accidentally went over it too many times. And sometimes the polish ended up more on his nail beds and skin than his nails themself. But it wasn't a bad first try.
"You did really well for your first time," Jo smiled as he tilted his hand toward Maki. "What do you think?"
"Mmm," Maki pouted as he poked at the part of the nail polish on the skin. "It's kinda messy."
"That's okay," Nicholas swooped in, holding something else in his hands. "I'll clean it up for you, xiǎo-dì."
Maki looked significantly happier at that as Harua, who had been watching quietly raised his hand, "I wanna try painting too." Jo offered him his other hand, and Harua looked at Jo like he hung the stars. Honestly, these two were so easy to make happy and that was half of why they were so lovable.
Harua made quick work of Jo's other hand. While he didn't paint as much of Jo's skin, the nail polish was so thickly painted that he was sure it would take a while to dry. Then Harua was moving on to painting Maki's nails while Maki loudly insisted that he could do his own. It wasn't like Maki was doing anything to deter the other boy though because he let him do it anyway.
"Do you want me to clean them up for you?" Nicholas asked, turning to face him on the bench. Their knees brushed and something zipped up Jo's spine.
"Sure," Jo said because he couldn't say no to Nicholas. Nicholas grinned before he was taking Jo's right hand into his own. Nicholas' hand felt cooler than he was anticipating, and he curled Jo's fingers over his hand, the other holding a q-tip soaked with what Jo assumes is nail polish remover. Nicholas worked methodically, first cleaning up the excess paint before using a clean q-tip to swipe near Jo's nail beds. Jo prayed that his hands weren't getting clammier the more Nicholas held on.
Jo couldn't help but notice how sweet Nicholas smelled too. It was an odd thing to say, but the scent of jasmines seemed to roll of Nicholas from this close. Jo tried to focus on breathing, but it was getting hard when all he could smell was Nicholas and the alcohol from the nailpolish remover.
"You okay?" Nicholas asked, still very much staring at his hands. "You haven't moved in the past two minutes."
"Uhm," Jo said, because of course he was super put together. "I was just…thinking."
"About?"
Jo swallowed, "Your perfume? It's nice." Nicholas paused at that, glancing sidelong at him. It honestly made Jo want to hide.
"You can smell that? It's not really perfume." One of Nicholas' hands start digging in his bag, his other hand still holding onto Jo's.
He fished out a small tube-like package before showing it to Jo, "It's my hand cream. My hands get dry easily."
"I wanna have some," Harua chimed in, because of course he was listening. Maki waddled over with his hands still outstretched, a mess of blue-and-black polish drying on his hands. Nicholas gently set Jo's hand down before squeezing out some lotion for Harua.
His hands returned to Jo's, picking up where he left off, "Your fingers are really long, huh."
Jo blinked, "I…I guess?"
Nicholas shifted and Jo was hit by another wave of jasmine, "I'm sure it helps with basketball. My fingers are kinda shorter." Looking at them now, Jo could see what Nicholas was talking about. Their hands are almost similar, but the proportions are different.
"You have pretty hands, Jojo." The compliment startled him, and Jo felt like he should say something back but his thoughts were too scattered. He let the compliment wash over him instead.
After a few more minutes, Nicholas was done. Jo brought his hand back to see the edges of his nails devoid of any polish, "Thank you, Nicholas-kun."
Nicholas nudged his elbow in reply as Maki stepped up to him, "I want the lotion too!"
"Maki, you hate the feeling of lotion," Jo felt the need to point out. Maki sent him a little glare-and-pout combination. Honestly it was so cute that Jo wasn't even offended.
"I wanna match Haru," Maki said, no glare and all pout now. His fingers were still a mess of polish, and Nicholas had to prod at the edges to see if they were dry yet.
"Here," Nicholas squeezed out some lotion onto Maki's hand before he was looking at Jo again. "Are you going to ask for some too?" Jo was going to answer, but Nicholas made the decision for him anyway, grabbing the hand he just fixed to put a small dollop of lotion there too.
Jo must be making a shocked expression because Nicholas snorted, "Relax. It's just lotion. If you don't like the scent you can wash it off."
It really wasn't that, Jo wanted to argue. It was more like he liked the scent a little too much. It was a lot gentler than what he expected of Nicholas, someone who really loved darker colors and statement pieces. Jo rubbed the lotion into his palms, watching as Nicholas finished off Harua's nail with some silver on top of the black.
Later, when Nicholas pressed the nail polish remover into his hand, whispering something about cleaning up Maki's nails and his other hand, all Jo could do was nod. He tried not to focus on the lingering scent of jasmine and nail polish that followed him home that day.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
iii. touch
Jo wasn't a touchy person by nature, but Nicholas so very clearly was. Jo didn't mind giving up his personal space for Nicholas though.
Of course, Jo didn't want to be too obvious, but there was something about Nicholas that drew him in. He was drawn in and kept there, forced to witness Nicholas shine in his entirety. If it were a worse experience then Jo would oppose. But Nicholas had only made his life brighter. More colorful, if that was possible. Everything felt twofold when Nicholas and Harua were there.
"Isn't that just a crush?" Yuma joked when Jo had told him. Or at least Jo hoped he was joking.
"I don't think so," Jo replied, because surely he didn't have a crush on Nicholas, right?
Yuma tilted his head, cat-like, "Let me get this straight: you think he's handsome and has a nice voice, he gets along well with Maki, you guys share interests, he makes you feel comfortable enough to talk, and he painted your nails for you that one time? And it's not a crush?"
"Well…" Jo swallowed, grasping at straws. "Maki and Harua painted my nails. He just…helped clean them up."
Yuma made a suffering noise before speaking again, "You're killing me. I'm being murdered by you and your obliviousness for the raging crush you have on this Nicholas guy."
"Don't call him that, he's older than us," Jo scolded gently. "I don't know him well enough to have a crush, anyway."
"Liar," Yuma drawled because Yuma knew exactly how much Jo knows about Nicholas.
Honestly, it wasn't a lie to say he was confused. Jo wasn't quite sure what to call the relationship between him and Nicholas. Though it hardly mattered, because at the end of the day, the important part was their siblings. But…Jo found himself wishing for a little bit more. He wished that he could see Nicholas more often, or even see him out of the context of picking up their siblings. He wished he could be real friends with Nicholas. Sure, Jo had his number saved but trying to talk to him was a bit…
Yuma nudged him with his leg, but Jo ignored him, still busy wallowing. What would it take for that to happen? Did Jo need to be cooler? Did he need to be more outgoing, like Nicholas was? Yuma nudged him again and this time Jo's brow furrowed.
"What?" Jo asked, tone a bit clipped because he was contemplating his feelings for Nicholas. That was important business.
"For the love of— look up," Yuma hissed. "Your crush is here." Jo's head snapped up.
Yuma was not, in fact, lying.
Nicholas, in all his pink haired glory, was walking up to them. Jo knew this for a fact because Nicholas was looking at him. His eyes brightened when Jo looked up and he fought not to run. He couldn't anyway. Yuma had a vice grip on his arm like he knew the taller would try it.
Jo tried to breathe properly, because Nicholas looked gorgeous like this too. A half-zipped white hoodie with a pair of light wash jeans, paired with sneakers. It looked casual, but on Nicholas it looked couture. Or maybe that was Jo and his apparently rose tinted glasses. Nicholas' hair was longer now, bangs brushing over his eyes as he finally came to a stop at their table.
There was a smile on Nicholas' face as he spoke, "I thought I spotted you from afar."
Yuma squeezed at his arm, prompting him to reply, "I-It's nice to see you too, Nicholas-kun."
Nicholas leaned onto the table, the move exposing more shoulder than Jo was used to seeing, "No compliment on the outfit today? I'm a bit hurt." Oh. Jo felt his ears start burning. Yuma was never going to let him live this down.
"I…I like the layering of the necklaces," Jo tried but Nicholas was already sighing and fake-pouting. Fake, because Jo wouldn't know what to do if he was really pouting.
"I guess I'll have to work harder on my outfit next time. Jojo's tastes are too hard to satisfy," Nicholas huffed a bit. That was when Nicholas must remember about Yuma, because he pivoted. "Oh, sorry for suddenly interrupting. My name's Nicholas, Wang Nicholas. Are you a friend of Jo's?"
"Best friend," Yuma replied snootily before grinning. "My name's Nakakita Yuma. What brings you over?"
Nicholas blinked like he hadn't thought that far, and someone called out his name from somewhere behind him. Ah. Jo's time was up. He could only steal away moments like this with Nicholas after all.
"Actually, me and my friends were heading to a cafe," Nicholas said before offering. "Would you guys like to come?" Yuma glanced at him and it was painfully obvious that this was his chance.
"Oh, it's okay if you're busy with studying," Nicholas said quickly, like he was somehow embarrassed. Like he could sense Jo's hesitation. "I just…it's rare to see you on campus, is all."
Yuma kicked him under the table, and Jo straightened up even more, "Of course we'll come." The words hung in the air for a moment before a smile blossomed on Nicholas' face. Delight was so pretty on him that Jo had to look away.
"What kind of cafe are we going to?" Yuma asked and he was already in motion, sweeping up his stuff like he can't wait to leave. It made Jo scramble too, reaching for his laptop and the notebook he had.
Nicholas hummed, nudging one of Jo's pens in his direction, "A boardgame cafe. It's nearby."
"Sweet!" Yuma gushed, already standing up. Jo stood as well, backpack slung over one shoulder. Nicholas looked between him and Yuma before leading them.
There were a few quick introductions with Nicholas' friends before they were all heading to the cafe. Yuma, ever the social butterfly, was already engaged in conversation about something or another with someone. Somehow, Jo ended up near the back of the group. He really didn't mind it, but then there was a bump to his shoulder.
Jo half-turned to see Nicholas there, "Are you nervous?"
Jo decided to be honest, "A little."
"Don't worry, all my friends are super chill," Nicholas leaned in closer. "I'm sure you'll get along with them fine. And if it feels awkward you have me." The reassurance made Jo smile a little.
Nicholas ended up staying by his side the whole walk to the cafe. He even claimed the seat next to Jo's on the couch. Another person sat at Jo's left, the very same guy Yuma was chatting up earlier.
"My name's Euijoo," The guy said, a nice smile on his face. Honestly, it made Jo feel a lot better that he wasn't sat next to Nicholas' other more intimidating-looking friends. Euijoo looked nice enough, and if Yuma got along with him then it was safe to assume he was a nice guy.
"Nice to meet you, Euijoo-san, my name is Jo," Jo bowed his head a little. There was a snort from behind him and a heavy arm landed around his shoulder.
"Juju and Jojo, huh? Your nicknames match," Nicholas said, voice so very close to Jo's ear. He tried not to go rigid in Nicholas' casual embrace, but it was hard not to. Nicholas was so very warm where his chest pressed against Jo's shoulder.
"Yah, Nichol, stop it," Euijoo said, a frown etching itself into his face. Jo blinked at the 180 degree turn in his demeanor. "You're doing that on purpose, right?"
Nicholas pulled back, and Jo could see the guilty looking smile on his face as he raised his hands, "You caught on faster than Jo did." Nicholas' hand tweaked at his ear and Jo knew exactly what he meant. He looked away from Nicholas as his face started to burn this time.
"Your face's all red," Yuma said because of course his best friend had to commentate.
Jo gently pushed away Nicholas' hand, covering up his ears when he turned to Nicholas. No words formed but Nicholas' smile ebbed into something softer like he understood what Jo wanted to say, "Your reactions are cute. I'm sorry, Jojo. Will you forgive me?" Honestly. Did Nicholas need to ask if Jo wasn't particularly mad in the first place? Maybe he was being too soft on him.
Euijoo sighed, "Stop batting your eyes at him. You're gross."
Nicholas glared at Euijoo, "You stop butting into my business." Nicholas stuck his tongue out, a move that Jo had seen him do toward Harua and Maki many times before.
Nicholas' attention is back on him in record time, and Jo couldn't bear to be silent, "It's…okay. I don't mind."
This time it was Yuma's turn to sigh, "Of course you don't." Jo tried to kick him from under the table. Yuma yelped, which meant Jo thankfully hit his target, and not one of the other people.
There are a few more introductions, the names swirling in Jo's brain as he tried hard to memorize them. Nicholas' friend group was as colorful as he was. Jaehyun was a transfer student from Seoul who was here for a year. Gaku and Sota were majoring in dance and performance arts. And Euijoo was majoring in business, and had been Nicholas' friend the longest, so it seemed. They order drinks, and Jo doesn't miss the fact that Nicholas came back with a glass filled with pink liquid.
He must've seen Jo staring because he explained, "It's a strawberry latte."
"Strawberry really is your favorite," Jo says, cradling his own cup of hot chocolate. He nudged Nicholas' leg a little, mirroring what Nicholas usually does.
Nicholas returned the gesture, "And chocolate is yours."
They start cycling through games, because this is a boardgame cafe after all. Jo wasn't really a competitive person, so his heart wasn't really into it. But Nicholas certainly was. He was enthusiastic, and when Jo dropped out of a card game early, Nicholas had smugly smiled before patting him with a small, 'better luck next time.'
It felt like Jo was in an alternate universe. Just hours before he was contemplating what it would take to hangout with Nicholas normally, to be treated like a friend. Now here he is, on the receiving end of Nicholas' smile after observing him for so long. It was overwhelming in the best way. The more familiar Jo acted, the more Nicholas delighted in his behavior.
After a while, Nicholas started leaning into his space. At first it was just a simple press of Nicholas' thigh. Jo sat next to him so many times that he thought he would be immune to it by now. But it still sent something electric sparking up his spine. He could hardly pay attention to the games happening but he couldn't care less.
And then Nicholas' arm was on his knee, reaching over for the jenga tower. Surely it would be gone by the time Nicholas' turn was over, right? But it just…stayed there. Nicholas even started leaning his weight onto him. Jo wasn't about to make a big deal about it, especially because Nicholas looked comfortable. Even if it made his ears heat up again. And the weight was nice in a way. Pleasant and grounding.
Every time Nicholas leaned more into his space, Jo allowed it to happen. The feeling of Nicholas slumping against him was akin to the feeling Jo got whenever a stray cat rubbed against his hand. It felt important to sit still and let it happen. Not to mention he was enjoying the rush of dopamine flooding his body.
That was, until Gaku laughed, "Nico-senpai, you're really liking Jo-san's personal space, huh?" A couple of them chuckle as Nicholas rolled his eyes.
"Mind your own business," Nicholas said before lifting himself off Jo's lap. Jo almost missed the weight of him. He still hovered close, "Do you feel uncomfortable?"
"No," Jo probably answered a little too quickly but Nicholas didn't seem to mind. "It's…it's nice." Somebody— probably Yuma— snorted at the answer.
"You don't mind? Really?" Nicholas asked again, tilting his head when Jo shook his head. "Just push me off if you need space, okay?"
Jo agreed, but he knew that he would do no such thing. Nicholas settled down, his shoulder pressed against Jo's front like Jo was the couch.
When Jo lifted his gaze from Nicholas he could see Yuma wiggling his brows suggestively. Then he mouthed a quick, 'You're so whipped.' before turning back to the game at hand.
The buzzing in Jo's chest stayed until the end of the hang out. All the way until Nicholas pulled him in for a quick hug, "Thank you for coming today." The scent of jasmine and cologne hung off him like a coat, and Jo found himself momentarily distracted by how nice he smelled.
"Uhm, thank you for inviting us," Jo said eloquently, before glancing at Yuma and Euijoo. "I'm glad that they're getting along."
"Me too," Nicholas slung an arm around Jo's shoulder despite the fact that he was shorter. "Hey guys, next time let's go to a basketball court."
"Oh you're on," Yuma smirked, that same one that was honestly slightly evil looking. "Prepare to lose to me and Jo."
Nicholas glanced at him sidelong, "Are you really planning on beating me?"
Jo grinned back at him, "I can't go down without a fight." Nicholas ooh-ed at him and the four of them laugh a little at the absurdity of his words.
Nicholas' touch left a certain warmth on him that Jo wouldn't be able to shake, even when he got home. He couldn't get Yuma's words out of his mind. A crush. Was that what this was? And if it was...was it so bad to have a crush on someone like Nicholas?
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
iv. sight
Jo was never going to get used to looking at Nicholas either. The way there was so much about Nicholas to look at, taking in his smile, his sparkly eyes, and even the way the pink of his hair rustled in the wind. Now that he and Nicholas were closer, he could indulge in looking all he wanted.
Nicholas texted him after that day, and that led to them talking more outside of their weekly pick ups. Most of the time they talked about plans with their siblings. Other times Nicholas would invite him to other hangouts or showcases at university. Jo would send pictures of his own pets or the animals they sometimes had to check up for classes. In return, Nicholas sent Jo his OOTD photos or pictures of strays he encounters around campus.
It was nice. Really, really nice. Nicholas wasn't a demanding texter. More often than not replied with voice messages. Jo never minded, since it meant he got another chance to hear Nicholas' voice.
Nicholas had also gotten more physical with him. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, sitting all the way next to him on the benches, pinching his ear whenever Jo would get a little cheeky. Jo liked it a lot more than he expected. He enjoyed Nicholas' particular brand of clinginess and the way always beamed whenever Jo reciprocated in any way.
Jo liked their relationship as it was. Yuma seemed to disagree with him, but only because he wanted Jo to say something.
"You two would look great as a couple," Yuma said during one of their study sessions. "I mean, have you seen the way Nico looks at you?" At Jo's silence, Yuma groaned. "Of course you haven't, you're too busy looking away." Which, Yuma wasn't wrong, but that was a method of survival. He could make eye contact with Nicholas, he was just scared that he would immediately give himself away by flushing.
Jo found himself nervous in a different way as he approached the park today. Maki and Harua had specifically requested to draw after their lessons today. It made sense, Maki was weak to heat and with summer reaching its peak, it was nice to do other activities too.
He had brought enough art supplies for them all, everything bundled into a bag that Maki was currently swinging around. Jo would be more worried about it, but Nicholas was already dragging Maki into his embrace.
"Xiǎo-dìdi, you have to be more careful," Nicholas scolded lightly as Maki squirmed in his grip.
Harua, who was holding onto Jo's fingers just shook his head, "Maki never learns, huh?"
Jo smiled at that. Harua liked to pick up phrases that adults say sometimes. It's one of his habits that Jo found cute so he hummed, "He doesn't. I think he's doing that on purpose. He likes being lifted up by Nicholas-kun."
Harua stayed silent for a moment, cheeks puffing, "But I like that too." He said it quietly, like a sort of confession between the two of them he doesn't want to admit.
"I won't tell Nicholas-kun," Jo said, before crouching a little. Harua lit up, immediately clambering into his arms. Jo lifted him easily, and he could feel two curious gazes on them. Jo met Nicholas' gaze unwavering, and there was this soft smile on his face. Jo understood the look. He liked seeing Nicholas get along with Maki too.
The four of them found themselves in a gazebo soon enough. Jo unpacked the art supplies, allocating the paper and making sure that Maki and Harua had their own set of colored pencils and crayon. The kids were immediately engrossed in their drawings. Nicholas, however, scooted closer to Jo, clearly interested in his sketchbook.
"Is that the famous sketchbook you draw in?" Nicholas asked. Jo thumbed at the spine. Still, he handed the sketchbook over to Nicholas. Nicholas looked at him a beat longer, asking 'are you sure?' through his gaze.
Jo nodded, "You can take a look." Nicholas gingerly flipped the front of the sketchbook open. Somehow he felt oddly exposed despite not doing anything. Like Nicholas was taking a look inside of some secret place in Jo's mind rather than his sketchbook.
"They're just…drawings I do in my free time," Jo felt the need to explain himself as Nicholas thoughtfully thumbed over a sketch of trees he did a few days prior. "I draw whatever inspires me. Or things I see."
"You're really good, Jojo," Nicholas smiled up at him before his eyes go back to the sketchbook. "I like this one a lot." Jo's heart almost stopped in his chest at the drawing. It was a drawing of a black cat, lying peacefully on its side, almost asleep.
"Oh! That's Mint!" Maki helpfully piped up. "She's Jo-nii's favorite but she's in kitty heaven now."
Nicholas' face dropped in horror, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't—"
"It's okay," Jo interrupted, before sliding the sketchbook back in front of him. "She lives on in my memory. She's...part of the reason why I wanted to become a vet." Nicholas' hand found Jo's knee, squeezing lightly before letting go. He doesn't say anything more, but Jo understood. The topic of Mint felt like a lingering bruise to Jo, but he knew she lived a good life.
Jo shook his head lightly. He needed a distraction. He grabbed a pencil, "What are you going to draw?"
"Me?" Nicholas asked, tip of his pencil tapping on the paper. "Not sure. What about you?"
The topic of what Jo wanted to draw was decided the moment Nicholas suggested doing art together. He wanted to try drawing Nicholas. Jo tried it before, more than once. Light sketches trying to capture the shape of him. But he never tried it seriously.
"Still thinking," Jo lied. Nicholas seemed to accept the answer, starting on his own sketch. The kids were chatting about one thing or another, a story they heard in class or about the songs they were learning for their recital. The chatter was nice accompaniment when coupled with the sound of chirping cicadas from the bushes around them.
Jo stared down at the perfectly blank page and back up at Nicholas. The lighting was nice, sunlight making Nicholas' pink hair shine. Nicholas had his back to the sun, casting his face in shadow, but he still looked beautiful. There were rarely instances where Nicholas didn't look beautiful to Jo after all.
Jo hatched in Nicholas' black shirt, before using his eraser to help define the graphic on the front of it. Of course, Jo couldn't forget about the jewelry, penciling in the string of pearls nestled against Nicholas' neck and the silver bracelets around his wrists.
And Jo couldn't forget about the scar on his arm. The story was apparently uneventful to Nicholas, something about him doing something stupid as a child, but it fascinated Jo anyway. The shape of it, slightly raised and stark against Nicholas' right arm only added to the older's charm. Right now the scar looked a bit red, the heat probably affecting it. Nicholas hand grabbed at his shirt, using it to fan himself. Jo immediately looked away when shirt rucked up, revealing a sliver of his waist. Oh god.
Jo's mouth felt dry, and he coughed lightly. Harua immediately sounded concerned, "Jo-nii, drink water! It's hot, so you gotsa drink lots!" Jo nodded numbly, and he could feel Nicholas' eyes on him as he drank.
"You two don't forget to drink too," Nicholas said and the kids immediately take out their water bottles. The contrast was cute. Maki had animals printed all over his water bottle, whilst Harua had flowers.
"You're drawing me, right?" Nicholas' voice sounded much closer.
Jo flinched back when he saw Nicholas leaning over, "How did you—?"
"You've never stared at me that hard before," Nicholas teased, but there was something shy in Nicholas' gaze. "You need to show me once you're done, okay?" Then Nicholas was leaning back, settling back into his previous position.
Now that Nicholas knew what he was drawing, Jo didn't have to be so careful about studying him. He focused on Nicholas' face, trying to capture it in a few rough strokes. The flutter of eyelashes, the apple of his cheeks, the hard line of his jaw. Jo was no expert, but he wanted this to look good. He didn't want to disappoint Nicholas.
As he got to refining the features, it hit Jo again. That feeling that was now impossible to define into something other than longing. Maybe Yuma was right. Jo did want more. He wanted to stand beside Nicholas and belong there. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted so much.
Jo looked up at Nicholas whose eyes were downcast, lips pressed into a concentrated almost-pout. Then back down at his sketchbook with probably too much intensity. Eyes, nose, lips, cheeks, eyebrows, chin. It was almost Nicholas. It was familiar, in the eyes and the faint smile lines around his mouth. It still felt lacking, but it was…okay for a first try.
Jo tentatively poked at Nicholas' knee. The older glanced up, eyes bright, "You're done?"
Instead of speaking, Jo slid the sketchbook over to him before bracing for his reaction. Nicholas let out a soft sound of…admiration, maybe. His fingers ghosted over the page like he was scared of smudging the drawing. Jo wouldn't have minded. It would've been proof that Nicholas was there.
Nicholas was oddly quiet, still staring at the sketch like he was thinking. After a few more minutes, he looked up at Jo, "It's really good. You're really talented." His voice is low and soft, and Jo forced himself to keep looking. There wasn't enough air around. Jo's chest was thumping hard against his ribs, lungs begging for something other than the sweltering heat around them. He didn't want to look away, even as Nicholas bit his lip, "Thank you for drawing me."
"I wanted to. It's not…perfect though." Nicholas laughed softly at that, and it startled Jo how close they were. Maybe he had been leaning closer subconsciously because when Nicholas shifted his shoulder brushed against Jo's.
"Who cares about perfect? You're already really good." Nicholas' lip pulled upward into a grin. "You even drew me more handsome than I really am."
"Oh. I only draw what I can see," The words escaped before Jo could properly think them through. Nicholas froze, and Jo felt the way his leg stopped bouncing. Nicholas' eyes widened, his shock clear. Jo caught up a second later, because did he really just insinuate what he insinuated— Jo finally broke eye contact, an anxious hand coming up to worry at his neck.
Nicholas laughed again, except this time it was louder, "That's a really good pick up line, Jojo. Do you usually use that on people you draw?"
Jo shook his head, and with all the courage he could muster, he looked back up to Nicholas. Nicholas, whose cheeks were tinted pink. He couldn't tell if it was from the heat or from his words. Still he wanted to try to convey it to him, even if it was clumsy.
Jo managed a lungful of humid air before speaking again, quietly, "I don't…draw people often. It's just you."
Nicholas' lips were parted in surprise, "You…" Jo braced, feeling like Nicholas should know. Nicholas was always so good at reading him. Surely he understood what Jo was saying.
Before Nicholas could continue, someone piped up, "What's a 'pick up line'?"
Maki. Voice loud and curious. Jo's eyes flitted over to him. Harua was watching them too, crayon paused mid-air. How could he forget that their siblings were right there? Mortification flooded Jo's veins, his ears beginning to heat up. He reached up to cover it just as Nicholas released a long sigh.
"You should focus on drawing, xiǎo-dì," Nicholas said, scooting closer to Maki. "You'll learn what that is when you're older, okay?" And just like that the tension between them dissipated. Jo forced himself up, going over to Harua.
"Are you okay? You're really, reaallyy red, Jo-nii," Harua commented and Jo waved him off. "Then can you draw a bunny again?" Jo picked up a purple crayon as Harua flipped to a new piece of paper. He tried not to keep stealing glances at Nicholas, who was back to laughing along with Maki about something or another. It proved to be an impossible task, because he couldn't stop looking at Nicholas now.
They didn't talk about it again, but he caught Nicholas looking back at him a couple of times. A lump formed in Jo's throat and he wondered if he messed something up. Nicholas pulled him into a short half-hug before they said goodbye, and Jo couldn't help but notice that he wasn't meeting his gaze anymore.
Later, when Jo was organizing the jumbled up art supplies, his phone buzzed. A text from Nicholas.
Jo hesitated for a moment before clicking on it. The words swim in front of his eyes before sharpening, "Today was really fun~ Don't forget to check your sketchbook." It was a real text instead of a voice message, words written out carefully in Nicholas' usual tone.
Jo immediately reached for his sketchbook, flipping through the pages to find what Nicholas meant. There, was a folded piece of paper. The piece of paper that Jo saw Nicholas poring over during their time today.
When Jo unfolded it, he found that there was a sketch of a cat there. A black cat, slightly cartoonish with angels wings. Below it was a note in messy handwriting, 'You're always so sweet, Jojo. Don't lose your spark.' Jo couldn't help but gently press the drawing to his chest, mindful of wrinkling the paper. The drawing made the cavern of yearning in his heart widen even more.
Jo picked up his phone gingerly, taking a page out of Nicholas' book and pressing the voice note button, "Umm…how do I say this? Thank you Nicholas-kun. I really like the drawing. A lot." He sent it before he could overthink his tone or word choice.
Before Jo could click off the chat, the read receipt popped up. Nicholas was there. He must've listened to Jo's voice note because he reacted to it with a heart. The typing dots started up, and Jo waited with baited breath.
Nicholas must've finally clicked send, because the message popped up on Jo's screen, "Of course :) You better send a picture of your drawing of me. It's too good for me not to have."
Jo exhaled. Clearly everything was fine. Nicholas was still his normal affectionate self, and Jo didn't mess anything up. He snapped a quick picture of the sketch for Nicholas. Then he grabbed a pencil and got to work. Surely he could draw a better Nicholas than the one he did today. And when that happened, Jo would gift it to him. He wondered what Nicholas would say when he saw it. He hoped that Nicholas would smile at him again when he did.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
v. hearing
One of the first things that Jo noticed about Nicholas was his voice. So it was no surprise that Jo paid attention to Nicholas' voice. It was interesting. Nicholas' voice was usually low, but it got softer and brighter when he talked to the kids. Even more so when he was laughing, carefree and loud into the air. He had so much joy, laughing so hard that it had Jo laughing too. He also sounded different depending on his mood, of course. Or when he was talking about his designs and passions.
Ever since the portrait, every new thing that Jo learned about Nicholas made him feel a bit insatiable. He felt fixated. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to understand Nicholas, better than anyone else could. It was an impossible wish, but there was nothing to stop Jo from trying.
Nicholas certainly wasn't stopping him. He started acting different too. Just a bit. He started looking away sometimes, when Jo caught him staring. Like he was shy about it. And Nicholas' touches lingered, deliberate against Jo's arm and always warm.
Jo wondered what would happen if he ever reached for Nicholas' hand to hold it. He'd seen Harua and Maki do it so many times. Would Nicholas hold his hand the same? Would he also smile encouragingly if Jo acted like that toward him?
Selfishly he wanted to know if Nicholas thought about him too. If he was ever reminded of Jo in his daily life. Because Jo was plagued with Nicholas. Nicholas was in the color pink, the taste of strawberries, the scent of jasmines and nail polish, the boardgame cafe, in the scattered sketches in Jo's room, and in so much more.
That was why the thought of Nicholas visiting his house made him feel queasy. His mom was the one that broke the news one day during dinner.
"Taki, Harua, and his brother are coming over to play in the weekend," She had said, casual as ever like she was referencing the weather. Jo choked on his rice mid-chew, and his dad refilled his water as Maki patted his shoulder clumsily. He downed the whole glass of water in one gulp.
"I'm sorry, w-what?" Jo asked, his mouth feeling dry despite everything.
"The Shigetas and Takayamas. They're coming over this weekend for a sleepover. Harua's a little scared so he's bringing his brother with him," His mom eyed him for a moment, smile gentle. "You two are close, right?"
Maki puffed out his chest, "Jo-nii and Nico-nii're friends, so me and Haru are ultra best friends! Taki too! Super duper close!"
Super duper close was an understatement. Jo was going to combust.
Something bumped against his leg, and he looked down to see Dio there, meowing at him softly. Jo picked her up, burying his face into her short fur. What was he going to do?
Going to Yuma proved to be useless, because Yuma was Yuma. When Jo called him after dinner, stomach roiling as he sat in bed Yuma started laughing at him. A full-bellied laugh like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yuma, this is serious," Jo tried to sound stern but with the way his voice was shaking it wasn't working.
"Why are you so nervous?" Yuma groaned, and there was shuffling like Yuma was rolling over. "Just use this opportunity to seduce him."
"Seduce—" Jo almost face-palmed, neck heating at the word choice. "I'm not— not seducing anyone."
"Come on, you need to make a move," Yuma urged. "He's going to be in your house. In your room even. You should say something."
Jo made a dying noise, half into his pillow and half into the air, "What if I mess everything up? What if he doesn't like me like that? Then we never see each other again because he...he hates me?"
"Don't overthink it so much," Yuma scolded, pausing before continuing. "If it helps, I do genuinely think he likes you back."
Jo felt the air finally return to his lungs again, "That helps a little. Thank you."
"Love you too, Jo," Yuma said before he snorted. "Can't believe you're having your first love crisis at twenty-two."
"Shut up," Jo blurted before retaliating. "Are you sure we want to compare? What about you and Fuma-sa—"
"Okay, okay, I yield!" Yuma said with an embarrassed squeak, rushing through his words. "I need to be up early for my 8am so goodnight!" Yuma couldn't have left faster. It was almost comical how transparent he was about his own love life.
Still, the feeling didn't calm down. If anything it got worse the closer it got to the sleepover. Nicholas texted him asking what he should bring as an omiyage and Jo spent fifteen minutes typing and deleting different options before settling on "fruit is fine." Fruit. Was that the best he could think of?
Once the day arrived, Jo felt like a gust of wind could knock him flat at any moment. Maki, meanwhile, was bouncing off the walls.
Pandy seemed to enjoy Maki's enthusiasm, pattering after him as Maki singsonged, "Harua's coming~ Taki's coming~ Nico-nii too~ Ultra best friend sleepover!"
"Maki really likes these two huh," His dad said and Jo nodded. "What about the Shigeta's eldest? Is he your friend?"
"Yeah," Jo said, even if it felt like the lie of the century. "He's older than me. He's really kind. He...adores Maki too."
"Sounds like high praise," His dad said with a wink. Jo didn't want to think too hard about what that meant.
Time passed quickly and before long someone rang the doorbell. Jo tensed as he watched Maki go to the door, his mom right behind him.
"Mama, c'mon," Maki whined, impatient.
"Yes, yes, give me a second, Riki," His mom said, looking at the peephole.
The door opened and in came Taki. He barreled right into Maki, the two hugging like they hadn't seen each other just the day before. Mrs. Takayama walked in a second later, earnestly chatting to his mom about 'her Riki's' newfound interest in cooking with a box of food in hand.
Taki greeted him too, "Hello, Jo-nii! Look, I have puppy stickers!" Taki was waving around a sticker sheet which indeed had puppies on it. He stared at the sticker sheet, then back at Jo before picking a fluffy white dog. "This one's for you."
"Thank you, Taki," Jo stuck the sticker on his shirt, and the boy beamed. Then Maki dragged their cat Jojo over and Taki immediately got distracted. Jojo meowed pitifully, but he stayed still the whole entire time as the two were petting him.
It was such a precious sight that it almost distracted Jo from the doorbell ringing again.
"Jo, honey, could you please get the door," Jo's mom said from somewhere in the kitchen.
Jo swallowed, socked feet taking him to the genkan. He slipped on some sandals, before finally peering through the peephole. He saw the Shigeta parents there, Harua tucked in front of them. And off to the side, something pink. Nicholas, his heartbeat spelled out for him, Ni-cho-las. Jo unlocked the door, pulling it open slowly.
Harua greeted him first, "Jo-nii! Hello!" Mrs. Shigeta coughs lightly and Harua lights up, "Oh right—" He bowed deeply, "Thank you for inviting us into your home." The sentence was so formal, and Harua said it in such a serious tone that Jo couldn't help but break into a smile.
He ruffled Harua's hair, "We're happy to have you here." Harua disappeared into the house, leaving Jo with his parents.
Mr. Shigeta chuckled, holding a small basket of fruit, "So spirited, our Haru. I hope you're well." He patted Jo on the shoulder lightly as he entered.
Mrs. Shigeta beamed at him, "It's good to see you, Jo-kun. My, have you gotten more handsome since the last time we met?"
Jo flushed at that, "Not at all. It's nice to see you again, Shigeta-san." Now that Jo knew where to look, he couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to Nicholas. Maybe it was their smiles, but there was certainly a resemblance.
Nicholas whistled low, "I didn't know you were such a charmer, Jojo." Nicholas stood at the entrance of Jo's house like a hallucination. Nicholas, with a soft smile donning an even softer-looking pink cardigan over a white shirt. A simple silver chain adorned his neck, a pair of rounded glasses on his nose, an overnight bag slung over his shoulder.
"That's…"
"Different?" Nicholas closed the door behind him. "Yeah. Mā told me to wear something nice. Plus I have to meet your parents for the first time so I want to leave a good first impression." Jo pulled out a pair of indoor slippers for Nicholas, who muttered out a small thanks, "You know, it's kind of crazy that we've never met before."
"Yeah," Jo exhaled, leading Nicholas to the living room. "It's such a strange coincidence."
"But I'm glad," Nicholas glanced at him. "Y'know, that we met when we did." Jo wanted to echo his thoughts, put forth his own, 'me too' but then Nicholas was being whisked away and introduced to his parents. He smiled, that pretty, charming smile that Jo knew probably had his mom swooning. From the pleasant laughter, Jo would say Nicholas was charming the socks off them.
Jo went back to his spot on the couch. On the carpet, the kids were already building some sort of block tower fortress. He tried not to be too curious about what they were saying. He heard Nicholas say his name, followed by 'friend' so he was hoping for the best.
It didn't take long for Nicholas to join him. Jo stiffened as Nicholas forwent all the free space on the couch to sit next to him. Nicholas half-turned to him, "Your parents are really nice. They seemed happy when I told them that we were friends."
"That's…good," Jo said and he heard commotion from behind him. The parents were up now, probably done with their talk. They call out to the kids, who stood up to hug their goodbyes. Leaving Jo alone with a curious Nicholas, whose eyes were sweeping past the family photos on the walls and the shelves filled with trinkets his family cherished.
Pandy jumped onto the couch next to Nicholas, who yelped a little, grabbing Jo's arm. Pandy seemed to startle, ears flattening. "Sorry," Nicholas let go before offering Pandy his hand. Pandy gave him a hesitant sniff. "What's your name, little one?"
"That's Pandy," Jo answered, watching as Pandy's tail started swishing behind her. "She's really friendly, don't worry."
"What a beautiful girl," Nicholas cooed, scratching Pandy behind the ears. It was so endearing that Jo's heart physically panged a little.
The kids return a moment later and all hell feel like it broke loose. Harua and Maki, who are usually loud enough on their own, somehow become even more rowdy with Taki there. Maybe because Taki was always doing something silly. Silly noises, facial expressions, always so easy to laugh and startle. It only made Maki laugh harder whenever Taki did anything. Harua would shake his head like he couldn't believe them but indulge in them anyway. It was cute. Maybe Jo should search up some synonyms for the word 'cute', because he felt like he used it every time he saw these kids.
Nicholas wasn't any better to watch. He and Pandy became fast friends despite her initial wariness. And then Dio joined, butting her head against Nicholas' leg and meowing softly. She ended up settled on Nicholas and Jo's thighs, sitting on them both like they were her throne.
Jo's hand bumped against Nicholas' as he pet Dio. His breath hitched, feeling something zap up his arm and down into his heart. Sensation in its purest form. Nicholas didn't try to move away. When Jo looked up, Nicholas' eyes were on Pandy. Maybe he didn't notice. But when Jo tried to move his hand, Nicholas linked their pinkies.
"Just for now," Nicholas said softly and Jo felt helpless. All he could do was nod. Nicholas' hand settled a little over his, and Jo felt his heart's tempo kick into a higher gear. There was a phantom heartbeat against his skin, right where Nicholas' hand was. For once Jo was glad that his parents weren't there, and that they had retreated somewhere else. He was also glad that Maki wasn't watching so closely, because his brother would surely have questions.
They stayed like that for a while, until Nicholas started sniffling. When Jo glanced over, Nicholas was using his other hand to rub at his nose. It looked a bit red.
"Are you okay?" Jo couldn't help the concern leaking into his voice.
Nicholas sheepishly smiled at him, "I'm actually a little bit allergic to cat fur. It's just…I didn't want to move because…" Nicholas trailed off before his gaze dropped to their combined hands.
Jo retracted his hand, swallowing, "Do you have any anti-histamine pills? If not, I think we have some."
"I do. I just forgot to drink them before I came into the house," Nicholas fiddled with his sleeve, a nervous habit. "I guess I was too excited to see you." The words sank into Jo's skin, setting all his nerves alight at once.
"That's nice," Jo said before cringing because— no, that was not what he wanted to say. "No, I mean…I just…"
"It's okay," Nicholas said before turning back to look at Pandy. Jo didn't miss the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "We can talk about it later."
Later. The promise of it bounced around in Jo's skull for the rest of the day. Jo couldn't focus on anything. Not the game of hide and seek he was roped into. Not when he was helping his mom set the table for dinner or dinner itself, where Nicholas and his parents talked about everything from university to fashion. Especially not the Ghibli movie currently playing on the screen.
The room was dim, save for the light of the TV. Harua insisted because it made it feel more like a movie theater. Maki was tucked into a ball on Jo's side. Jo was almost sure that his brother was asleep. Taki and Harua were also on the couch, on Nicholas' other side. They were being oddly silent right now, so maybe they were also asleep. Actually, the only person still watching was probably Nicholas. Nicholas was watching the movie and Jo was busy watching him.
Nicholas' side profile was soft in the hazy light, colors playing across his skin like it was natural. His knee was pressed over Jo's own, a consequence of all of them squishing onto the couch. He wondered what it would be like to lean into Nicholas, the way he usually leaned into Jo. Would Nicholas hold him steady or push him away?
Jo doesn't get to spend more time thinking about it, because the lights suddenly turned on. Jo startled, so much that Maki made a noise of discomfort. Jo immediately patted him, turning around to find his mom there, looking apologetic.
"I was going to remind you about bedtime, but," she glanced at the kids, who were all passed out on the couch. "I guess I don't have to. I'll go get the futons." Maki finally stopped moving, slipping back into slumber as his mom left.
"They didn't even last until Howl was introduced," Nicholas huffed softly. He was gently maneuvering Harua and Taki so that they were in a more comfortable position. "Sometimes, I can't believe how big Harua is. But moments like this remind me of how young he is."
"Yeah," Jo gently brushed Maki's bangs out of his eyes. His mouth was slightly opened, cheek squished against Jo's ribs.
His mom returned, and Nicholas stood up, moving the toys off the carpet so he could lay out the futon. Jo lifted Maki first, placing a pillow underneath him, and tucking him in. Maki's brow furrowed when Jo let go, like he was missing the warmth. Jo sat next to him, patting him on the back gently to lull him back to sleep.
Nicholas got Harua next, placing him next to Maki while his mom tucked Taki at the very end. Once all three of them were settled, blankets tucked securely around them, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good work you two," His mom ruffled his hair, giving Nicholas' shoulder a pat. "Now you two should go to sleep too. Do you have a futon for Nicholas, Jo?"
"Yeah," Jo avoided meeting Nicholas' gaze. "Let's…go?"
Nicholas shuffled after him, and they soon entered Jo's room. He exhaled, trying to calm his nerves as he opened his closet, dragging out the futon.
"You can sit on the bed if you'd like," Jo said, glancing up to see Nicholas clearly staring at the cork board and shelves in his room. It really wasn't anything special. Just sticky notes filled with reminders, some diagrams for him to study, and some sketches. And of course, some drawings from Maki. It still felt vulnerable.
Jo distracted himself by setting up the futon, spreading it out over the carpet as Nicholas studied his cork board more in silence.
Then Nicholas leaned down, picking something up off the floor. It was a crumpled up piece of paper. Jo knew exactly what that was. He must've missed a sketch from when he was cleaning earlier. Before Jo could reach out to grab it from him, Nicholas smoothed it out.
There on the paper was the damning evidence. A sketch of Nicholas.
His hand reached Nicholas' wrist late, "That's just…"
"You were drawing me," Nicholas breathed out and Jo didn't know what that meant. Was Nicholas happy? Was he disgusted by it? It would be easy for Jo to check if he just looked him in the eyes, but he didn't want to.
Instead, Jo decided that maybe this was the time, "I've drawn you a lot since then. None of them are any good to me." Jo reached for his sketchbook, pulling out a sheaf of papers that he knew were full of sketches of Nicholas. Nicholas sitting, Nicholas smiling, Nicholas holding hands with Harua. Every side of Nicholas that haunted him. The real Nicholas rifled through them slowly.
"I think I like you. A lot," Jo continued, because if he stopped now he would lose momentum. "And you…don't have to say anything, I just…I wanted to—"
Nicholas' arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him down before something warm pressed against his cheek. Jo felt himself short circuit at the sudden closeness.
Jo turned to him, shocked only to see Nicholas frowning at him. Jo's heart sank. Nicholas leaned in again, and this time Jo actually felt what was going on. Nicholas' breath tickled his skin before his lips pressed over his cheek.
Jo's voice broke at his next word, "W-What…?"
"You're an idiot, Jojo," Nicholas said, which really wasn't helping. "Of course I like you back! Why would I hold your hand if I don't?"
"I don't…I don't know, you're just…so nice," Jo mumbled, heart racing fast enough to power a small electrical generator. Nicholas frowned again, but this time Jo could see it for what it is. He wasn't upset at Jo. He was upset that Jo would think that way.
"I'm not this nice or touchy with just anyone," Nicholas said, before tugging Jo down onto the futon. Jo ended up with his back pressed against the edge of his bed, Nicholas hovering over him like an angel that descended from heaven. "It's only you, Jojo."
Nicholas smiled, voice low and soft, "Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ. That means 'I like you' in Mandarin."
"Oh," Jo's mouth felt dry as Nicholas drifted closer.
Seeing that Jo make no move to push him away must embolden him because Nicholas' arms wrap around him, and he was melting into the embrace. It was better than anything Jo dared to imagine. With no distance between them, Jo could feel the thunder of Nicholas' heart under his fingertips, matching Jo's own. Jo's hands rested against Nicholas' back, holding him close. All his senses were completely ruled by Nicholas and he was helpless to stop it.
"I've wanted to do this for so long," Nicholas mumbled, his words ticklish against Jo's neck. "I was going to ask you, at the park that day. But then we got interrupted."
"I have…" Jo felt clumsy as he stumbled through his words. "I have thought of this too."
"Yeah?" Nicholas asked, leaning back. And from this close, Jo could almost see himself reflected in the dark pools of Nicholas' eyes. They sparkled with happiness, an wide smile on his face.
Nicholas pinched at his ear, "You're so cute, Jojo." Jo tried to smack away his hand, because it only got redder when Nicholas brought attention to it. "I like the way you blush. The way you get so red in the face that it travels up to your ears."
"That's embarrassing," Jo couldn't manage a volume above a whisper, but Nicholas didn't have any trouble hearing him because he chuckled a little.
"Okay, I'm sorry for teasing you," Nicholas giggled a little more, before finally letting him go. Jo almost missed the warmth, watching as Nicholas started digging in his bag. He couldn't believe what just happened. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if it was real. It was, right? Jo pinched himself, skin stinging under the touch. Yeah, it was real.
"Are you going to keep staring at me like you did the entire duration of the movie?" The sentence only made things worse. Jo groaned softly, burying his head in his hands. "It's okay, it was cute. I'm flattered."
Jo made a mortified noise before looking up to Nicholas, "It's just…you're so handsome all the time…" Nicholas' eyes widened, and clearly he was struggling with his next words because his mouth kept opening and closing.
"You should look in a mirror before saying things like that. God, you're so honest sometimes," Nicholas ended up saying, before rushing off to Jo's bathroom. Was Nicholas...flustered? Jo didn't know but maybe that was it.
Now that Nicholas wasn't centimeters away from him, Jo could finally take a breath that wasn't filled with him. He started getting ready for bed too, changing into his usual tank top and shorts for sleeping.
He sat there in a daze until Nicholas walked out, dressed in his pyjamas. A drop of water dripped down to Nicholas' chin and Jo resisted the urge to follow it with his eyes. Or worse, with his fingertips, tracing over Nicholas' skin the way he might be allowed to do now that they were—
Jo stood up, locking himself in the bathroom. He brushed his teeth vigorously, splashing cold water on his face. He couldn't fully calm down. The butterflies in his stomach were incessantly fluttering, reminding him over and over that Nicholas liked him back.
It got worse when he exited the bathroom, finding Nicholas lying back on the futon. He looked so different like that. Soft and sleepy, devoid of all his jewelry and make up. Just…Nicholas.
Nicholas blinked up at him, before tossing his phone aside, "Sleep time?" Jo couldn't resist the yawn that escaped him as he turned off the lamp.
A hush fell over them. Jo swallowed, trying to get comfortable on his bed. Despite his tiredness he felt wired. It wasn't every day that his crush returned his feelings so sue him for being a bit excited. He couldn't help but look down at the silhouette of Nicholas on the floor. He was curled into the blanket on his side.
Nicholas' chest rose and fell, the motion so steady that it startled Jo when he spoke, "Jojo?"
Jo waited a beat before answering, "Yeah?"
"Could'ya lend me your hand?" Nicholas asked, tone slurred and sleepy. Jo let his hand hang off his bed. Nicholas' fingers entwined with his, palm flush against palm. "I f'rgot to ask, 're we dating now?"
The question washed away any trace of tiredness, and Jo unconsciously squeezed Nicholas' hand hard. Nicholas let out a small 'ow' before Jo let go, "Sorry. I just. That surpised me. We can…we can date. If you want."
"Of course I w'nna," Nicholas eyes opened, frown on his face. Jo knew because he was watching him. "I 'ws asking you what you wanted."
Jo let out a soft sound, "I want to."
He yawned before pulling Jo's hand closer, "Boyfriend, huh? 'S good. I'll dream 'f you."
"That's unfair," Jo said but he received no answer. Jo was almost sure that Nicholas drifted off right after, evidenced by the way his hand immediately loosened around Jo's. Jo retracted his hand, before staring at Nicholas' sleeping face. The moonlight casted his pink hair in a hazy purple, and Jo bit his lip.
Wang Nicholas was his boyfriend. How was he supposed to sleep now, with Nicholas' voice still echoing in his ears? Jo stared at his ceiling like it might hold the answer.
It was safe to say that Jo had quite the sleepless night.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
vi. after
When Jo roused in the morning, he woke up with the memory of the confessions they shared that night. He kept stealing glances at the sleeping Nicholas, sprawled on his back with his mouth slightly ajar. Jo really must have it bad because Nicholas looks cute even like that.
Nicholas stirred hours later. For a moment it seemed that he didn't know where he was. Then he saw Jo. Even groggy with sleep Nicholas blinked up at him with a half smile.
He buried his head into pillow, before mumbling, "I had the best dream ever."
Jo took a deep breath, steeling himself, "I'm glad. I hope you slept well...Nico."
Nicholas sat up immediately like someone plugged him into a socket, "What did you just call me?"
"N-Nico," Jo said, shy under scrutiny. It was a funny sight, Nicholas with his hair sticking up every which way, sleep lines etched against his cheek and gaping at Jo.
Nicholas didn't stay still for long, launching himself at Jo with a delighted laugh, "You're so cute. How could you be this adorable? Gosh." Nicholas cooed some more, arms wrapping around Jo and bringing his sleep-warmth against his skin.
"Well, I wanted to try..." Jo pressed his lips into a line as Nicholas pulled back to see his face. "...for my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend," Nicholas repeated in a soft, dreamy sigh. "I'm so happy that this wasn't a dream."
"Me too."
They settled into silence, Nicholas still on top of him like Jo was the world's most comfortable pillow. Jo felt a bit lost in looking at him, Nicholas' fingers twisting at the ends of Jo's hair.
His heart fluttered when Nicholas' gaze dropped down to his lips. Nicholas inched closer, head tilting in permission. Jo nodded, taking a deep breath as Nicholas inched closer and closer, eyes fluttering closed and—
A loud knock rang out, making them spring apart. Jo's heart leapt all the way up to his skull, and Nicholas actually almost fell off his bed. A few more followed, making it obvious that it wasn't just one person but multiple.
"Jo-nii! Nico-nii!" Maki's voice, too loud for the early morning. "Let's play! I know you're awake!"
Then Harua's voice, urgent and hushed, "What if Nico-nii is still sleeping? He's scary in the mornings."
"That's bad, Maki," Taki gasped as Jo and Nicholas exchanged exasperated glances.
"I'm not scary in the mornings, you brats," Nicholas called out and Jo heard the kids squealing as their footsteps retreated from the front of Jo's room. Nicholas sat up, pulling Jo with him.
He grinned at Jo, and it hit Jo that this was a smile just for him. That Jo would get his wish, and that from now on, Nicholas would be irrevocably his. The thought of it made Jo's chest flood with warmth.
Their fingers intertwine as Nicholas tilted his head, "C'mon, let's not keep the little devils waiting."