Chapter Text
Maybe Euijoo should’ve thought more about promising Nicholas to fulfill him two wishes. Because not only was it after the exam, but Nicholas had passed it. With a score that was way better than necessary.
Euijoos phone was ringing. As he saw the name on the screen he smiled and picked it up quite fast.
"Hel-"
His greeting had immediately been interrupted by the loud voice he had only waited to hear.
"JUJU I PASSED!!! I GOT 97%!!! I HAVE TWO WISHES!!!"
Euijoo could hear him jumping around on the other line. "Wait, what? Damn, congrats!!"
He’d definitely been expecting Nicholas to pass, but with a grade this good?
"You can be proud of yourself, Nichol. This is all your own doing. You did really well!!
Anyway, what are your two wishes then?"
Euijoo couldn’t see Nicholas over the phone and that was good, cause he never would‘ve been able to witness Nicholas‘ grin he could hear so clearly in real life.
"No, Juju. I have to thank you. Without you I wouldn’t have studied or had-"
Nicholas paused. Euijoo thought he would continue talking, but for some reason the silence kept on stretching. Before Euijoo could ask about it, Nicholas cleared his throat and continued talking again.
"So anyway, I will tell you one of my wishes when we see each other in school tomorrow morning. Deal?"
"You’re kinda scaring me, but alright."
Euijoo paused. He could hear a chuckle over the line.
"Good night, Nichol."
"JUJU WHAT-"
Euijoo hung up. He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Why did Nicholas make him feel like this?
He was feeling the need of wanting to be next to Nicholas 24/7. Listening to him talking for ages, babbling about anything and everything. Euijoo loved that he put this much effort into studying now. There was nothing wrong with Nicholas, he wasn’t lazy or bad. He just needed someone. And Euijoo was glad he was able to be that someone to him.
And somehow Nicholas had been the first person Euijoo was able to open up to as well, about fencing, about his parents… It had never felt this easy to talk to someone about these things. And Nicholas stayed even though Euijoo told him all of this.
Euijoo felt safe with him. He could keep quiet, talk, read, study - all that without Nicholas leaving. He accepted Euijoo for who he was, he looked at him thinking Euijoo wouldn’t notice. No one had ever done that.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?"
It was during the break after the first two lessons, some students were resting in the classroom, as well as Nicholas and Euijoo.
"shhhhhhhh! Keep your voice down, or we won’t be able to slip out quietly! I want us to skip school so I can show you something."
Euijoos mouth hung wide open. There was no way Nicholas actually asked that of him, but the smile that was so undeniably visible on his face said otherwise.
Euijoo had never skipped school, let alone thought about it. He even showed up when he was sick. Should he just break that streak cause Nicholas was asking?
"Juju. Please, you promised me that wish. You said whatever I wished for, you would fulfill it."
Nicholas could still see the stern and doubtful expression in Euijoo’s face, so he decided to pester him further.
"Come onnnnn, live a little. Do something no one would expect of you. Don’t always repeat your little cycle. I know you worry about not keeping up but it won't kill you, we only have two subjects today. I will go through them with you after. And be honest: when was the last time you did something because you wanted to? Pleaseeeeeeee!"
Euijoo hated Nicholas for this. (He could never) He hated how easy he could give in to whatever Nicholas was asking of him.
But Nicholas was right. Euijoo hadn’t done anything fun or anything at all since he quit fencing. Just school, home, study, school, home, study. Maybe he should indeed try, he could catch up on school work after he got home later, right? Nicholas promised him they'd work on it together. His parents just couldn’t find out.
Fuck. His parents. They would lock him up if they found out he wasn’t only skipping school but also with a boy like Nicholas.
It was fine. Right? He would just have to get home on time so they wouldn’t notice.
He looked at Nicholas and sighed once. Everything clouding his mind disappeared as soon as he saw Nicholas' smile grow.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
When the two of them finally got to the parking lot after Euijoo struggled to jump over the fence, he refused to get into Nicholas' car at first.
"Nichol. Do you know how dangerous cars are? How many people die in accidents? How long have you had your license? Does your car have insurance? Is it-"
"Juju, how did you think we were gonna get there?" He opened the drivers door and leaned on the car with arms folded on top of it to speak to Euijoo once more.
He held out his hand, counting the answers to Euijoo's questions with his fingers:
"I've had my license for 2 years. I‘ve never had an accident. My car has insurance. And yes, it is suitable for the road. Now get in, before somebody catches us."
He got in the driver’s seat and shut his door, looking at Euijoo through the passenger window with raised eyebrows.
Why did Nicholas know what he was going to ask next?
Euijoo hesitated for another second but seeing Nicholas he remembered his words. Live a little. Had he ever really used his life, the one that belonged to him, to live?
Without further thinking about it, he decided to follow the heart of his and got into the passenger seat, not forgetting to buckle up.
"If you drive even one mph faster than allowed, I‘ll jump out of the moving car and walk back to school."
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
The drive would take quite some time. That’s what Nicholas had told Euijoo. He had settled by the window with his chin on his hand, watching the scenery outside pass him by.
"Should I put on some music?" He quickly peeked over to Nicholas who already glanced back at him, hands on the steering wheel. Euijoo nodded quietly, and Nicholas took a CD out of the console in the front.
Euijoo eyed the case, there was no label on it, neither was there any on the CD. Was it self-made?
Though as Nicholas put the CD on, Euijoo muttering a quiet "Eyes on the road", he turned fully with his eyes almost popping out of his head once he heard the first note.
"YOU HAVE ABOUT YOU BY THE 1975 ON CD? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU KNOW THATS MY FAVORITE SONG!"
Indeed Nicholas knew. But instead of saying anything, he smiled to himself, eyes now fully back on the road. He rolled down both windows and turned the volume up slightly.
None of them talked, just enjoying the music Euijoo sometimes played while studying and Nicholas had ever so quietly written down when Euijoo didn’t notice.
He didn‘t know when exactly, but once he glanced over to Euijoo, he could see what was probably the happiest he had been in a long time.
Euijoo‘s eyes were closed softly and the corners of his mouth were slightly turned upward while mouthing the lyrics.
The wind from outside pushed his brown bangs to the side and Nicholas could see his forehead for the first time. It suited him, having his hair out of his face.
He had a very pretty face.
Euijoo had put his arm out of the car window, letting it be moved by the warm autumn breeze while they were driving. Nicholas thought that he looked at peace for probably the first time ever.
He thought he had never seen the skin between Euijoo's brows be so smooth while actively ditching school. Nicholas was sure that this image of Euijoo would forever be burned into his brain.
And it was exactly what he wanted. It was how he wanted to see Euijoo, how he wanted Euijoo to feel. Oh god, he would replay that forever in his mind.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
As he kept on driving, he noticed Euijoo's stomach growling. "You hungry? We could get something to eat, I know a place nearby."
Euijoo turned to him a little. "If you don’t mind, yeah."
"Alright, let me just fill up the tank first." Euijoo just nodded and Nicholas focused back on the road, careful not to miss the next exit.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
Euijoo waited, sitting in the car. When people passed by it looking at him, they glanced at him confused. He didn’t understand why.
His train of thought was interrupted by someone knocking heavily on the window.
Euijoo jumped and lowered the window.
"Jesus, Nichol. Why aren’t you just opening the door? Why are you smiling like that? What did you do?" He said with a disappointed look on his face. Whatever Nicholas had planned, that smile meant nothing good.
Nicholas said nothing, holding something in his arms and shoving it to Euijoo.
Euijoo held it up, and he noticed that it was a hoodie. Nicholas' hoodie.
He raised his eyebrows. "What do you want me to do with that?"
"Wear it, stupid. For the top student you aren’t really too bright up there, are you?" Nicholas answered with a snicker.
"I'll wait for you in the car. You can change in the toilet inside."
"Why should I?“
"God, Euijoo. We're way too obvious with our school uniforms. It literally has the logo on it. We need to look more convincing being outside at this time of day. And you don’t have a hoodie of your own with you, do you?"
Euijoo nodded rethinking Nicholas' words. Alright, he would change into the hoodie.
"I swear to god, if you leave me here while I change, you’re a dead man.“
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
As Euijoo approached the car in Nicholas' hoodie, the other felt something he didn’t know was possible.
Uhoh.
90 beats.
100 beats.
110 beats.
His heartbeat quickened rapidly. Even though the hoodie fit Euijoo poorly, Nicholas felt-
Well, what did he feel exactly?
Another person was wearing his hoodie. Not just any person. Euijoo did. Euijoo.
And though it was short on the sleeves, it looked good. He looked good.
Euijoo on the other hand was mad at himself when he put it on at first. What a stupid hoodie, too comfortable, too warm. And why did Nicholas perfume linger everywhere on it?
He hated it. He hated how much that thought alone pulled some strings at his heart. Even if the sleeves were too short and it was too small on his back, Euijoo felt warm when he walked back to the car.
He sat back in the passenger seat, ruffling a hand through his hair. When he saw Nicholas' smile, he only rolled his eyes and signaled Nicholas to keep driving.
Nicholas turned back around, still smiling and heart still beating too fast, starting the engine.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
When the two of them ate at the restaurant by the highway, Nicholas told Euijoo that he would usually eat here when he was driving to wherever they were headed.
The waitress always recognized him, and was shocked that today he wasn’t alone like usually, but it made her smile seeing Nicholas smile.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
They arrived after what felt like hours, the sun had already begun setting a little. Euijoo sometimes stared at Nicholas during the drive thinking he didn’t notice.
But Nicholas noticed every little thing about Euijoo, he just pretended he didn’t.
Nicholas immediately strechted when he got out of the car, leaving the door open.
Euijoo copied him, looking around to find something worth being showed, but all he saw was fields with flowers and little hills by the street they were currently standing on.
"Do we still need to walk further? Or are you actually gonna kill and bury me here?"
Nicholas laughed out loud at that. It was so Euijoo of him to say that. For a moment he did nothing but stare at Euijoo, appreciating once more how cozy he looked in that hoodie, the sunset behind him outlining his face perfectly.
Nicholas walked back to the car and turned on the headlights so they could see the street. He closed his door and ran to the small embankment on the side of the street. He plopped himself down on the grass, spreading out his limbs all over the warm ground beneath him.
Euijoo hesitated for a second before walking towards Nicholas and laying down beside him.
Nicholas' head turned towards Euijoo, being blended by the headlights first, but his eyes adjusting to see Euijoo already looking back at him.
Nicholas stared back at the sky, closing his eyes and taking in the sound of the nature. A slight smile was slowly making it's way on his face. Again they didn’t talk, laying in complete silence.
Euijoo loved it because unlike others, Nicholas didn’t mind if he wasn’t talking, didn’t force him to talk when he didn’t want to and could still enjoy the time they had even if it was in complete silence. He also didn’t mind if Nicholas talked the whole time, it became a habit and it was more weird when he didn’t hear Nicholas' voice.
Nicholas loved it because Euijoo didn’t feel fake. He said what needed to be said at the right time but never unnecessary things. (He would probably also like it if Euijoo talked absolute trash.) Nicholas also didn’t have to talk to cover up the silence he felt was awkward with other people, Euijoo didn’t mind. There was no heaviness in the silence, no uselessness.
"Is this what you wanted to show me? Just this spot?"
Nicholas turned back to face Euijoo. He nodded slowly, taking in the feeling of Euijoo knowing exactly how Nicholas was. It had gotten dark now, but thanks to the headlights that illuminated Euijoo's face perfectly, he could see him just fine.
"I always go here when I want to think, or don’t want to think at all. When I‘m stressed, I need some time for myself or if I get overwhelmed I just drive here and look at the scenery. It calms me, knowing that no matter how much I change or how much I do wrong, the fields and the scenery will always stay somewhat the same. No one bothers me, no one can reach me."
Euijoo's eyes were glowing. "And you still want to share that with me?"
"I think I‘m only sharing this with you because it’s you, Juju. For the first time in my life, I‘ve actually wanted to share this with someone. It just makes sense it’s you. You’re so controlled, so neat, so-"
Nicholas took a deep breath once. He felt a bit anxious again, letting Euijoo in like that, but this time, right in this moment, he didn’t want to run away.
"And though I know you have a lot going on too, I feel like I don’t have to lie or pretend with you. I can just be myself. I feel like you don’t know that so I hope you know now."
Euijoo didn’t know what to say. At the sight of Nicholas Euijoo's heart contracted. How could he feel so cherished?
He was suddenly too aware of everything. The way Nicholas looked at him, the way the hoodie was too warm and Nicholas scent still clinging to the edges of Euijoo's mind, the feeling of grass underneath his hands, his own eyes softening.
He didn’t know what to say. So instead, and against all his self-hatred from before, he did what felt right. He grabbed Nicholas' hand in his own, not caring if it felt wrong in any way. Because it didn’t matter right now.
Right now it mattered that Nicholas felt the way he did. And it mattered that Euijoo felt like he mattered to Nicholas.
Nicholas didn’t budge. He has never felt this seen or comforted in his whole 18 years of living. He just stayed like that, Euijoo as well.
Euijoo ignored the vibrating in the pocket in the back of his jeans. His parents.
He didn’t care. Right now he was too afraid that letting go would mean no more holding on.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
It didn’t matter to Euijoo that he got home late anymore. Not that his parents were probably going to scream at him. He appreciated every second he got with Nicholas. He wanted him to feel like Euijoo was there for him. Because he was. Euijoo had never felt so appreciated before, he would not let go of what he had with Nicholas.
When Nicholas dropped him off and they both bid their goodbyes with smiles displayed clearly on their faces, Nicholas stayed until Euijoo entered his front door safely. He stared at the back that was so familiar to him, because he was still wearing his hoodie, when Euijoo turned around and smiled once more at the door.
There it was again. The heart beating faster than normal, Nicholas feeling more warm than usual.
ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ
And even though tomorrow would probably be the same, Euijoo early at school, Nicholas almost late to class, something changed between them.
Something that made their connection even stronger, even deeper. Like something that had only been waiting to happen.
Nicholas had shown Euijoo what it felt like to be wanted, to be needed. And to be liked as a person that’s just himself.
Euijoo had shown Nicholas that being seen could lead to something way better than running away. That sharing something that really mattered and opening up didn’t mean something bad.
And that his hands felt so right in Euijoo's.