Work Text:
Nicholas‘ eyes wandered.
His assignments. Numbers. Pretty hands softly strumming the guitar, playing mindless chords.
Pink lips, pouted in concentration. A scrunched nose, cheeks slightly red from the warm weather.
“You’re staring.” Nicholas met the eyes of the man sitting across from him in the booth, friendly grin stretching his face.
“I am?” Euijoo rolled his eyes ever so slightly, taking his finger from the fretboard and pointing at the still blank sheets in front of Nicholas.
“Nichol, you haven’t written a single thing in ten minutes.” Lazily, Nicholas let his gaze trail down to his notes, looking at them with a contemplating pout.
“The problem is really hard. I’ve been thinking all this time.” Euijoo raised an eyebrow at that, before sighing and relaxing back into his bench, fingers back on the fretboard, playing some chords he’d picked up from the radio.
Nicholas stared at his textbook. He blinked once, twice, the numbers and letters slowly blurring in his eyes. Maybe he just needed to recalibrate. Right.
Something orange caught his eyes and, as if he was in a trance, his head lifted and his eyes were back on Euijoo, whose head was now tilted down to look at the chord he was gripping. His fingers were pretty, long and thin, and they wrapped around the guitar beautifully. Nicholas nodded subconsciously, the hand strumming before now resting on the strings, fingers slightly curled.
Euijoo was frowning in concentration, the little furrow between his eyebrows so familiar, Nicholas could carve it out with his eyes closed. The other’s sharp nose cast a handsome shadow on his face, contrasting beautifully with his round eyes and even rounder cheeks. He couldn’t help but smile as Euijoo let out a little huff of frustration as one of his fingers slipped, his entire hand letting go of the chord.
The other’s orange hair was gleaming in the sunset, its hue casting a light blush on Euijoo’s face, making him look even prettier than usual.
“You’re staring again.” Nicholas blinked drowsily, not realizing the pretty glistening of Euijoo’s lips had been him talking.
“No, I’m not.” He said, eyes never leaving the other’s face. Euijoo shot him a deadpan stare, giving up and slouching forward, resting his arms on the guitar. He now had to look up to Nicholas, round, brown eyes with an unfair amount of sparkle in them, and Nicholas wasn’t so sure he could win their little argument anymore.
“You so absolutely are. Your problem can’t be that difficult.” Euijoo gestured at the paper, Nicholas letting out a chuckle.
“You don’t know what kind of advanced level stuff I have to do in my classes. Besides, I said I was going to study and you were the one who brought his guitar. So, if anything, you’re at fault for distracting me with your playing.”
Euijoo’s eyebrows rose up comically high and he let out an offended humph.
“I’m sorry? You said you didn’t mind!” Nicholas grinned, his heart beating faster now that Euijoo had finally reacted, the other’s wide eyes and offended pout his favourite expression. Well, one of his favourites anyway. If it was Euijoo’s face, chances were that it was Nicholas’ favourite.
“But you could so obviously see I was distracted by it! You should’ve taken responsibility, you know.” He continued, teasing tone to his voice. It was worth it when Euijoo opened and closed his mouth a few times, as he always did when he was at a loss for words because of the other’s provocations.
“Pardon?!” Nicholas just shrugged, already feeling victorious. God, it was fun teasing the other.
Euijoo suddenly narrowed his eyes, leaning back over his guitar and mustering Nicholas with a mischievous expression.
“If you were so distracted by my playing, how come you kept staring at my face?” Nicholas’ eyes widened and now he was the one trying to come up with a reply, the smug, self-satisfied grin on Euijoo’s face igniting a fire in his stomach.
“I wasn’t just looking at your face.” Nicholas defended himself weakly, Euijoo grinning even wider at the lame response.
“Mostly you were, though. How are you gonna explain that, Nichol? Some might even assume you were actually just checking me out.” Euijoo’s face round with smugness and joy, Nicholas was tempted to give him the win for once, because happy Juju was of course the best Juju, but unfortunately, his competitiveness did not allow that. He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as he reciprocated Euijoo’s grin, a gleam in his eyes.
“You’re right, actually.” Euijoo’s eyes widened in surprise at the other’s concession, but before he could celebrate any kind of victory, Nicholas continued.
“Your face is distracting me. You’re right across from me, how could I not stare at you? So-“ A wave of resignation washed over Euijoo’s face as he realized where this was going.
“-so I fear you’re gonna have to sit next to me, then. You know, so poor poor Nichol can focus on his very advanced university assignment.” He said the last words with a pout, like Harua when he wanted them to buy him food, and Euijoo grimaced.
“You’re insufferable.” But he stood up anyway, leaving the guitar secure on his bench before making his way out of the booth and into the other side, Nicholas scooting to make room for him.
As Euijoo sat down next to him, his body heat already emanating even though they weren’t sitting close, Nicholas started to sweat a little.
Right.
He had forgotten that his body still reacted like a teenager with his first crush whenever Euijoo came near him.
“Better? Now do your work.” Euijoo’s voice sounded from beside him, near and yet so distant, Nicholas suppressing a swallow as he realized what situation he might’ve just put himself into.
Feigning nonchalance, he huffed, taking up his pen and deliberately writing down something illegible on his paper.
“Thank you.” He said exaggeratedly.
“Finally I can concentrate again.” That was a lie. With Euijoo next to him, his fresh, citrussy shampoo scent clouding Nicholas’ brain, along with the other’s presence so clearly closer than before, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to form a single thought besides woah, Juju pretty and Woah, Juju smell good.
Wooaah, want to kiss Juju was maybe another contender.
This time, he did swallow, looking back down at his paper, reading the first assignment.
After reading it for the fifth time, he silently gave up. His entire being was hyperfixated on the person next to him, on Euijoo’s slow and quiet breaths, on the way he shifted his weight every now and then, and on the little sound he made whenever he took a sip from his drink. Out of the corner of his eyes, Nicholas saw Euijoo’s hands engulfed by the red sweater fiddle with each other, resting on his lap before landing on the table, their restless movement making it impossible for Nicholas to focus on anything else.
“You’re not writing.” Came from Euijoo, amused tone to his voice and Nicholas groaned quietly, putting his head into his left hand so most of his view of Euijoo was blocked.
“I’m figuring it out.” He got out, Euijoo’s chuckle that came as a reply making Nichola’s stomach flip and he took a deep breath.
This was ridiculous. Yes, inviting Euijoo always came with…additional motives, but this time, he had actually wanted to study! It wasn’t his fault the other was so distracting.
Before he could try (and fail) to read his problem again, he felt something warm lean against his shoulder and his entire body went rigid, hand falling from his face.
“What do you even have to do?” Euijoo’s voice was mumbled, and much quieter than before. To Nicholas’ horror (and immeasurable joy), it was also much, much closer than before.
Nicholas didn’t dare move, the heat pressed to his shoulder going down to his arm. The hairs on it stood up when Euijoo leaned in even closer, and Nicholas risked a glance over at the man in risk of… his own life?
Euijoo had put his head on Nicholas’s shoulder, his body grazing against Nicho’s arm, his own having subconsciously wrapped around it. He looked down at the problem as well, his cheek squished against Nicholas’ shoulder. Nicholas was sure you could hear his heartbeat reverberate in the entire café, praying to the gods that his face wasn’t as red as it felt.
“Nichol?” Euijoo noticed the other’s frozen stance, about to let go to take a look at Nicholas, when the other laughed awkwardly, his own hand finally taking action and grazing Euijoo’s with a soft touch.
“Nothing.” He took a deep breath to calm himself down, his heart still beating miles an hour whenever Euijoo got close. As if it was the first time the other had initiated contact or sat close to him. It wasn’t, hell, Nicholas didn’t even remember when the first time was, but he still got as nervous now as he did back then. His heart beating too fast, his composure being thrown out of the window – and also consequently embarrassing himself in front of Euijoo – he didn’t think those things would ever change, but somehow, he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset about that.
“Just…happy.” He said absent-mindedly, hearing Euijoo’s breath catch, the other being silent for a bit before ever so slightly nuzzling his face into Nicholas’ collarbone.
“Don’t just say stuff like that out of nowhere.” He murmured, embarrassed and Nicholas had to close his eyes to control himself, because he knew Euijoo hated being called cute and getting his cheeks squeezed.
Even though they were tragically squeezable (and Euijoo was tragically cute).
Nicholas turned his head slightly, pressing the lightest of kisses on Euijoo’s soft hair before straightening up, deciding to earnestly give the paper another try.
“Alright, gimme like five minutes. I can do this.”
“I’ve been giving you the last hour.” Euijoo responded, but there was no bite to it, just the same stupid fondness Nicholas so often found in his own words.
As he set his pen down to hastily scribble an answer (that was wrong but also so scraggily written, it didn’t really matter), his heart decided to send a signal up to his brain, and he felt some kind of short-circuit happen.
He had the prettiest man on earth sitting next to him, in an empty café, and he seriously tried to do schoolwork? Idiot.
After deliberating it for a while, Nicholas decided his brain had a good point and sat down his pen, turning to Euijoo with an excited smile, only to pout when he saw the other glued to his phone, scrolling on Twitter, mindlessly liking tweets.
“Juju~” He drawled, Euijoo looking over at him before furrowing his brows and shaking his head.
“I know for a fact you’re not done. Go back to writing.” Nicholas rolled his eyes.
Why must the other be so difficult.
“Juujuu~” He said again, leaning over to the other and putting a hand on his shoulder. Euijoo flinched, but he didn’t turn to face him, instead staring at his phone. He wasn’t scrolling, so Nicholas knew he was anticipating the other’s next move. Barely able to conceal his grin, he placed a light kiss on Euijoo’s cheek, the other’s breath hitching, the grip on his phone tightening, but he still didn’t turn.
“Juju, it’s really hard to kiss you like that. I can only reach your cheek.” Euijoo groaned, his ears reddening as he turned away from Nicholas, the other laughing as he kept placing little kisses on Euijoo’s face, the orange-haired man eventually letting out a giggle.
“Nichol! It tickles!” Nicholas kept pecking him, hand on his shoulder and when Euijoo turned around, about to open his mouth and scold him, Nicholas took the chance and connected their lips, the complaint dying in Euijoo’s throat, his eyes closing as if on command.
If sitting next to Euijoo or holding his hand was putting butterflies in Nicholas’ stomach, kissing Euijoo made fireworks erupt inside of him. His hands came up to cradle the other’s face, Euijoo leaning into his soft touch with a content sigh. His hand came up to caress Nicholas’ wrist, a habit the other knew all too well. Euijoo’s thumb was rubbing little circles over Nicholas’ vein, and when the other smiled into the kiss Nicholas knew it was because he’d felt how fast his heart was beating.
Nicholas broke them apart for air, smiling at Euijoo like an idiot. Their faces were way too close, so he was sure he looked just as silly from Euijoo’s perspective as Euijoo did to him. The other was grinning back just as brightly, his cheeks tainted red.
“Seems like sitting next to me didn’t work.” Nicholas whispered to Euijoo’s lips, the other closing his eyes and laughing.
“You’re so stupid.” He said softly before connecting their lips again, angling his head in a way that made a shiver run down Nicholas’s spine. His fingers travelled along Euijoo’s chin, stroking over the soft skin, Euijoo’s other hand having landed on Nicholas’s shoulder, lightly grabbing his shirt.
The kiss turned deeper, Nicholas’ breath hitching when Euijoo ran his tongue over his lips, the hot sensation enough to suddenly make him feel like the air in the café was burning. He reciprocated, feeling Euijoo’s soft, plush lips with his own tongue, gripping the other’s jaw harder as Euijoo finally opened his mouth, the sensation of their tongues meeting setting a fire in Nicholas’ lower stomach. Euijoo’s hand had started to roam, softly stroking up and down Nicholas’ arm, tracing the lines of his muscles under the skin, every touch igniting and leaving a mark on Nicholas’s skin, desire building up inside of him.
His hand travelled down to grip Euijoo’s waist, when the other suddenly moved, swinging one leg over Nicholas’ lap and sitting back down, the motion enough to make Nicholas dizzy, who didn’t process what was going on before he felt Euijoo’s warm weight on top of him, and it was then he thought he was going to pass out.
Before he had time to think about passing out or any other kind of passing, Euijoo dove back in, his lips meeting Nicholas’ wetly, moving intently, his hand now cradling Nicholas’ jaw. Nicholas let the other take the lead, enjoying Euijoo’s barely-there rhythmic movements on top of him, his hands squeezing the other’s waist through his hoodie. Their chests were pressed together, and Nicholas let his hand wander down the arch of Euijoo’s back, slipping under the hoodie and grinning into their kiss. Euijoo gasped when his hands finally met his skin, giving one squeeze before resorting to leaving ghosting touches here and there, Euijoo shivering at the sensation.
“Nng-“ Nicholas quickly joined their lips together again, Euijoo’s thumb digging into his cheek as he pressed himself closer to Nicholas, wanting more, more-
“DUDE!” At the loud voice, they jumped apart, Euijoo almost hitting himself on the table before them, turning around in shock, Nicholas peeking over his shoulder.
A few tables away, eyes indignant and full of offense, stood Yuma, making wild gestures at them.
“What the fuck! Jo has been calling for you for three minutes!” Said man stood next to Yuma, his entire face tomato red, the apron from his shift bunched up awkwardly in his hands, his shirt full of wrinkles.
“Sorry, didn’t hear ya.” Nicholas said casually, Euijoo wondering how the fuck the other could stay so nonchalant in a situation like this. He tried to climb off his lap too, but Nicholas’ firm (and very strong) hand held him firmly in place, so he had to uncomfortably twist his neck to look at his two other friends, feeling bad for Jo who’d so graciously offered for them to study in the café after closing hours.
“Obviously.” Yuma mustered them with a judgmental look.
“That doesn’t look like studying to me.” Nicholas raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, I was studying.”
“Euijoo’s mouth doesn’t count.” Euijoo turned a bright red, turning around to shush Yuma when Nicholas snorted, putting his head on Euijoo’s shoulder and shooting the smaller man a challenging look.
“Oh really? And would you tell me then why it took you guys ten minutes to get something from the broom closet?” Yuma froze at that, and it was then that Euijoo noticed the other’s usually so carefully styled hair looked oddly messy, and what he’d thought to be makeup was indeed a flush. His lips looked unusually bruised too, Nicholas continuing with a shit-eating grin as Euijoo put the pieces together.
“And why Jo’s shirt has wrinkles, almost like someone grabbed it reallyyy tightly while being pressed agains-“ Before Nicholas could say even more, Yuma let out a yell, turning around in irritation. Euijoo suppressed a snort as he could see the dust on the back of Yuma’s black shirt, only proving what Nicholas had “accused” them of.
“ALRIGHT! Jesus, fine, you’re off the hook.” He took Jo by the arm, the taller man having watched the entire interaction with wide eyes, looking back and forth between Yuma and Euijoo and Nicholas.
“But at least we went somewhere private.” Yuma couldn’t help but let out one last snarky comment, dragging Jo into the kitchen not before the other quietly said “I’m closing up in five minutes, alright?” Nicholas sent Jo a thumbs up, before redirecting his attention to the man still on top of him.
“Well, I’d say this was a successful studying session.” Euijoo stared down at him blanky and Nicholas couldn’t help but grin at that. The other just looked too cute when he was upset.
“Whatever. Now let go of me, you freak, we gotta get out of here.” Nicholas did as the other said, not before raising an eyebrow in mock hurt.
“I’m the freak? But I distinctly remember it was you who climbed me like a dog in heat.” Euijoo choked at that comment, turning around to glare at Nicholas before adjusting his sweater and patting down his hair.
“I’m just joking~” He walked up to Euijoo and slid his arms around the other’s middle, pressing a soft kiss to his ear. Euijoo rolled his eyes but ultimately his hands found Nicholas’, and he gently intertwined them.
“If you ever call me a dog in heat post-makeout ever again, I’m breaking up with you.” Euijoo whispered in a voice that sounded way too polite for what it was threatening. Nicholas pouted, making them lightly swing on the spot.
“Juju is sooo mean to me.” He said quietly, Euijoo sighing but the grin on his face betrayed his true feelings, as he turned his head to give Nicholas another quick kiss, smiling against the other’s lips. He could never really stay mad at him, no matter how much he teased Euijoo or tried to get a reaction out of him.
“Only to you.”