Work Text:
The fringe flopping onto his forehead is damp with sweat; Nico scowls as he swipes it out of his eyes.
Maybe he shouldn't have pushed himself to exercise, on top of everything they did today. The team's schedule had been packed with recording and dance practice and behind the scenes shootings for their new comeback, plus the Weverse lives he did with the other kids. He should have called it a day then, gone back with them to the dorm.
But for some reason he was still jittery, filled with excess energy, like ants crawling under his skin. The only way he could discharge it was to hit the gym for a good hour or so, until the dull aching of his muscles shut down the buzzing in his brain.
And now the exhaustion is hitting with a vengeance, right at their doorstep; he wants nothing more than to get off his wobbly legs and lie down. He fervently hopes everyone is done showering, because it's half past one and he won't last another hour before crashing.
Quietly, he steps inside, careful not to let the door bang close, in case he wakes anyone.
But as he toes off his shoes in the genkan, Nico hears the sound he's been dreading. Zaaa-zaaa, goes the rushing sounds from the main bathroom.
Someone is taking a shower, and that someone is not him, so now he has to wait, and he's just about dead on his feet...
Dammit.
Dropping his gymbag on the floor, he shuffles down the dimly lit hallway. Someone's left the kitchen lights on, too; the same culprit hogging the shower, maybe. Groaning, he staggers over to the sofa and flops onto it facedown, yearning to sink into the soft cushions....
Only to land on a pile of bony knees and elbows with a loud 'oof'.
With a jolt, the other person gasps awake. Nico garbles out a half incoherent apology but makes no effort to move, happy to stay horizontal now that he's off his feet. He couldn't move if he tried, so he goes slack, spreading his limbs to distribute his weight as the lactic acid buildup turns his body into clay.
"...Nichol?? Ugh. You're heavy, and you stink. Get off," Euijoo whines, ineffectually jabbing an elbow in his side.
But he's already aching bad enough that the blow barely registers. And he's not even ticklish the way Euijoo is, so he doesn't move a muscle.
"-'Sry, Juju....five mins? Shower's full..." he slurs. His voice comes out muffled since his face is pressed into Euijoo's neck, lips moving against the soft, warm skin.
Euijoo sucks in a sharp breath. "S...stop--that tickles." Grumbling, he takes hold of Nico's shoulders and tries to wriggle out from underneath, like a leggy octopus. But he's not actually making an effort to push him off, so Nico stays put.
A second wave of fatigue washes over him; with a deep sigh, his eyes flutter shut, as he nuzzles his cheek against the nubbly cotton of Euijoo's shirt. He seems to have given up trying to get away, hands loose on Nico's shoulders, chest moving in tandem as he breathes.
"...you smell nice," Nico murmurs, shamelessly sniffing in appreciation. It's true; Euijoo smells like his favourite bodywash, mandarin and vanilla. Nico can feel that his sleep shirt is slightly damp, especially where his hair curls over the stretched out collar.
Eyes still shut, he frowns. Did Euijoo fall asleep on the sofa after his shower? Without drying his hair? It's still winter, he could end up falling sick, Nico thinks disapprovingly.
Using the last of his strength, he pushes himself up on his elbows and cracks open his eyes to scold him.
With a start, he comes face to face with Euijoo, wide-eyed in the near dark like a startled deer. He's so close their noses are brushing.
Flustered, Nico moves his leg, intending to push himself off, but then his knee brushes against *something* and--
BAM.
The next thing he knows, he's flat on the ground, wheezing as the breath gets knocked out of his lungs.
"Oh my god, sorry! I'm sorry--are you alright?!"
Sliding off the sofa, Euijoo kneels beside him, hands fluttering as he tries to check on him. He slides a hand under his head, bringing Nico's face into the light as he peers into his eyes.
"Did you hit your head? How many fingers do you see...?"
A tingling runs through his limbs, like soda pop fizzing through his veins, as Nico blinks owlishly at the blurry outline of Euijoo's fingers against the light. Instead of answering, he grabs the hand and tugs it to his cheek.
"So mean, Juju," he murmurs, gazing up at the pretty face above him. "Be nice to me."
Breath shuddering, Euijoo exhales in relief. Then his other hand smacks Nico right in the chest.
"Don't scare me like that again." He glares at Nico, who smiles back lazily, tilting his chin and closing his eyes. Calmly, he waits, until there's the softest brush of lips against his forehead.
When he opens his eyes again, Euijoo's face hovers above his, pink hair glowing like a halo, matching his pretty, pink lips.
"Happy Valentine's, baby."