.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅I think I love you babe˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Sypnosis: WHERE: You and Nicholas are childhood best friends, but you have secret feelings for him. Telling him might jeopardize your perfect friendship, but not telling him is a burden for you since your feelings for him are really sincere. Even if you were dating, you two have different love language, which makes you a Mismatch. So what will you do?
Genre: fluff, slow burn, best friends to lovers
Wc: 4,2k
A/n: @mrsyangsikmoa HAI BABEEE WHEN YOU WAKE UP I HOPE YOU FIND THIS AND CHEER UP ILY MWAH MWAH (not rly proofread so sorry if there are any mistakes) also had to google a LOT of expressions TT
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You had liked Nicholas for a long time. But seriously, you were sure that he only saw you as a friend. Another reason for you to push your feelings aside, was that you guys were childhood best friends. If you just told Nicholas that you liked him, you would jeopardize your friendship. And that was one of the things you were most afraid of.
You kept knocking on Nicholas' door. "Come on buddy we're going to miss the bus!!"
You heard the sound of footsteps. Nicholas opened the door.
"Y/n wait!! I'm getting dressed, jeez you're so impatient, we still have 10 minutes!!"
But you couldn't focus on what he said because..
"YOU CAME OUT WITH NOTHING BUT A TOWEL IDIOT" you held back your laughter.
"No shit, you kept interrupting my shower"
"Sorry, I guess.."
"Come in, you can wait in the living room"
You went in. You looked around and saw the familiar surroundings. Slowly, you made your way to the couch and sat down. Nicholas was probably getting dressed. You heard the sound of a hairdryer.
"HURRY TF UPP"
"YN I'M ABOUT TO KICK YOU OUT"
"NO"
"YES"
"HURRY UP"
"OKAY JEEZ"
After a while, Nicholas was finally ready and you guys went out. Not even a minute later, the bus arrived. You got in and Nicholas followed right behind. You guys tried to find a comfortable seat but almost all of them were full. There was only one seat.
"You should sit" Nicholas said.
"No, you should sit, I like to stand"
"You sure?"
"Yeah a 100%"
"Okay then.." Nicholas sat down and you were standing right in fron of him, holding the pole nearby.
The bus started driving, and you held yourself tighter, your knuckles turning white.
Suddenly, the bus braked and you lost balance, falling and landing somewhere.
"Shit.." Nicholas perfume was tickling your nose. You opened your eyes and saw that you landed on Nicholas' lap. He looked amusing, while you were blushing so hard, that your face was burning and red from shame. You quickly stood up, not being able to look in his eyes. "How did that even happen.." you thought. You heard Nicholas chuckle.
"S-stop laughing it's not funny"
"It is"
You avoided eye contact all the way to school. Since your lockers were also located right next to each other, it was rather hard to ignore him. You walked to your first class behind Nicholas, and you didn't realize that you were walking so close, because your head was down.
So you didn't see that he abruptly stopped and bumped into him.
"Yn? Are you okay?"
You quickly gathered all of your stuff and stood upright.
"Yeah.. sorry I didn't see you."
"Are you okay Yn? If you're still embarrassed about what happened in the bus, it's really okay. At least I have something I can tease you with"
"Hey!!!"
"Okay okay. Sorry. But I mean it. You shouldn't think too much about it. Shit happens."
"Thanks I guess.."
During your shared class, you tried to pay attention to what the teacher said. Fuck, math was sooo boring. Nicholas noticed that you looked bored so he turned to you and took your hand.
"W-what are you doing?"
He didn't say anything, just took your hand. He took a pen and started drawing stuff on your hand.
A while later, he stopped and faced you.
"Are you really ok yn?" He whispered. You didn't even realize that you had gone red.
"Y-yeah.."
A few minutes later, Nicholas was done. He had drawn a beautiful design on your hand. Since you liked stars, there were a lot of them, but also flowers. It really looked beautiful.
After class, you guys went to a cafe near your school. You sat down at one of the tables near the window.
"So, how was your day?" Nicholas said.
"Pretty fun I guess, the drawing you made on my hand is really cute"
"Just like you I guess" the moment he said that, you were shocked.
"Eh? What did you say?"
"Oh come onn you know friends always make jokes like thatt"
You felt so humiliated for some reason, you were on the verge of tears.
"U-uhm.. I.. have to go. My mom said I have to be home early tonight."
"All of a sudden?"
"Yeah.. she said we're getting visitors and she needs my help to clean"
"Okay.. I'll see you there tomorrow then I guess" (THERE = AT SCHOOL I DIDNT WANT TO RUIN THE REFERENCE)
You quickly walked home, your eyes burned with unshed tears and a lump formed in your throat. Did Nicholas really only see you as a friend? You knew that the chance of him liking you was very low, but still it had hurt a lot.
Once at home, you took off your shoes and immediately lay down. Your mom wasn't even at home, she was still working at this time. You took a deep breath. Was it really worth being sad over this? You KNEW he didn't like you back, so why did it affect you so much?
Just as you were about to rest for a while, your phone lit up with a notification. You glanced at it to see Nicholas name.
"Have you arrived home safely?"
One sentence. And still, it made your heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, I'm doing the dishes" send.
"Okay, take care ❤️"
A.. heart?
"Thanks"
Why did he send you a heart?? Your heart was racing. Were you overthinking it? Normal friends send each other hearts all the time, right?
Well, you shut off your phone and lay down on your bed. The moment you shut your eyes, you fell asleep.
A few hours later. A knock woke you up. Grumpy, you went to see who was knocking at this time in the evening. You expected to see your mom, but you were surprised to see Nicholas. "Shit.." you thought. Your mom still wasn't home, and the house was still messy.
"Yn? Can I come in?"
"S-sure.." you openened the door fully, allowing him to come in.
You expect him to confront you after seeing the messy state of your house, but he turns to you and says
"Yn.. are you okay? I noticed that you looked really uncomfortable at the café earlier and like it was obvious that you went home because you weren't feeling well.. but I'm your best friend.. you can tell me if there's something wrong.."
You almost started crying.
"I'm sorry.. it's just.. I.. I'm sorry I lied to you.."
"It's just what?"
"Hm?"
"Finish the sentence."
Your face burnt. How were you supposed to tell him you liked him? Right now? You quickly came up with a convincing lie.
"It's just.. I still couldn't move on from my dad's death.. I feel like crying whenever I remember.."
"Oh yn.. I'm really sorry.."
"It's okay.. It's not your fault.."
Nicholas embraced you in a warm hug. You tried not to think much of it, to just think of it as a friendly hug.
A few moments later, Nicholas let go.
"So.. are you feeling a bit better?"
"Yeah.. thank you.."
The next weeks were the same.
Always the same routines.
Same classes.
Your feelings for Nicholas. No. They weren't the same, they were even greater.
One evening, you guys were hanging out at your place. You had thought about it.
About telling him. But.. what if you ruined your perfect friendship? You really couldn't afford that. But your feelings? You really couldn't deny them either. So what were you supposed to do? It was a last minute decision.
"Nicholas.."
"Yeah?" His warm smile gave you butterflies.
"Uhh.. so.. there's this thing I've been wanting to tell you.."
"Yeah..?"
"Uhm.. I.. I don't know how to tell you"
"Just tell me.. I'm your best friend I won't judge you.."
"Well.. I like you Nicholas. I've liked you for a long time.. but.. I didn't know how to tell you.. it's just.. I'm scared that it might ruin our friendship.. especially since we've been friends for so long.."
"Oh yn.. you could've told me.."
"I.. don't know.. I..was scared.."
"Of what?"
"Of.. you rejecting me.."
"Awww you really don't have to.."
"What.. do you mean..?"
"Well, I never knew you saw me that way but we could explore this together.."
"Are.. you.. are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm dead serious.."
You internally screamed. Your best friend and your crush was giving you a chance?!!!
"Okay.. then.. uhm.. this is awkward" you chuckled.
No way this was real!!
Nicholas approached you, just as if he's going to kiss you..
But instead, he hugged you. You felt the rising disappointment. But still, you were happy because your crush had accepted your feelings.
The next day, at school, you were expecting to hold Nicholas' hand.
You had imagined it the whole night.
Walking to school together.
His hand casually reaching for yours.
Maybe even him teasing you like always, but now with that small difference — that you were more than friends.
But when you arrived at his house that morning and knocked on the door, something felt… off.
The door opened.
Nicholas stood there, already dressed for school.
"Oh, hey Yn."
Hey?
Just hey?
No teasing. No nickname.
No smile that reached his eyes.
"Uhm… ready to go?" you asked awkwardly.
"Yeah."
He grabbed his bag and stepped outside, locking the door behind him. The two of you started walking. Silence. Usually, your mornings were full of chaos.
Nicholas complaining about being tired.
You nagging him for being slow.
Arguments about music.
But today?
Nothing.
Your hands brushed for a moment.
Your heart jumped.
But Nicholas quickly shoved his hands into his pockets.
Your chest tightened.
Oh.
So… that’s how it was going to be.
Maybe he regretted it.
Maybe he only said yes yesterday because he didn’t want to hurt you.
The thought made your stomach twist.
After a few minutes you forced yourself to speak.
"So…"
Nicholas glanced at you.
"Yeah?"
"So… what are we now?"
The question slipped out before you could stop it.
Nicholas blinked.
"Uh…"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I mean… we said we’d try, right?"
"Yeah."
"But… maybe we should just… take it slow?"
Take it slow.
The words echoed in your head.
"Right," you muttered.
The bus arrived.
Just like yesterday, it was crowded.
You both stepped in.
And again—
There was only one seat.
Nicholas looked at it.
Then at you.
"You can sit."
You crossed your arms.
"No, you should."
"Yn."
"Nicholas."
You stared at each other.
Finally he sighed.
"Fine."
But instead of sitting down, he stayed standing next to you.
Your shoulders brushed every time the bus moved.
Neither of you said anything.
Suddenly the bus braked again.
You stumbled.
Nicholas instinctively grabbed your arm.
His hand wrapped around your wrist, steady and warm.
For a moment, neither of you moved.
Your heart was pounding so loudly you were sure he could hear it.
Nicholas quickly let go.
"S-sorry."
Your chest felt weird.
Why was he apologizing?
You forced a laugh.
"You didn't even drop me."
"Yeah but… still."
The awkward silence returned.
You stared out the window.
Nicholas… why does this feel harder now?
Meanwhile, Nicholas was staring at the floor.
His thoughts were just as messy.
She confessed…
And I said yes…
But what if I mess this up?
You had always been the most important person in his life.
And suddenly the rules had changed.
What if he did something wrong?
What if dating ruined everything?
The bus stopped.
"School," you said quietly.
Nicholas nodded.
You both got off.
Walking side by side again.
But this time the distance between you felt bigger than usual.
As you reached the lockers, Nicholas suddenly spoke.
"Yn?"
"Hm?"
He hesitated.
Then he grabbed your hand.
Your eyes widened.
But instead of holding it confidently like you imagined…
He flipped your palm over.
And started drawing on it again with a pen.
Stars.
Just like last time.
You stared at him.
"What are you doing?"
Nicholas avoided eye contact.
"I… don't know how to do this."
Your heart softened.
"Do what?"
"This."
He gestured awkwardly between you.
"Us."
You stayed quiet.
Nicholas continued drawing small stars across your skin.
"I like you," he said quietly.
Your heart stopped.
"But I’m scared I'll ruin everything."
You squeezed his hand slightly.
"Nicholas…"
"But yesterday you expected something, right?" he continued nervously. "Like holding hands and stuff and I—"
"I did," you admitted.
Nicholas looked guilty.
"I just… need a little time."
You looked at the tiny stars he had drawn.
Just like your favorite ones.
Then you smiled softly.
"Then we’ll take time."
Nicholas looked up.
Relief flooded his face.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
You gently intertwined your fingers with his.
Nicholas froze.
Your face turned pink.
"See?" you said quietly.
"We’re already learning."
Nicholas stared at your joined hands.
Then he smiled.
A real smile this time.
Maybe the two of you were a mismatch.
But maybe…
That didn’t mean you couldn’t still fit together.
Nicholas stared at your joined hands like they were something fragile.
Something new.
Something he wasn’t sure how to hold yet.
But he didn’t pull away.
Instead, his fingers slowly tightened around yours.
A soft smile spread across his face.
"Okay… maybe this isn't so bad."
You laughed quietly.
"Wow, thanks. I feel very reassured."
Nicholas chuckled.
"I didn't mean it like that."
You both started walking to class again, hands still loosely intertwined. Every few steps, your fingers would shift slightly, like both of you were still figuring out how to fit together.
It felt nice.
But also strange.
Different.
When you entered the classroom, Nicholas quickly let go of your hand.
You paused.
The warmth disappeared instantly.
Nicholas walked ahead like nothing happened.
You stared at your empty hand.
Oh.
Your chest tightened again.
Maybe he just didn’t want people to see.
But still…
It hurt more than you expected.
During class, you tried focusing on the teacher.
Which was impossible.
Your brain was replaying every moment from this morning.
The hand holding.
The silence.
The way he let go.
Were you doing something wrong?
Next to you, Nicholas was also not paying attention.
He kept glancing at you.
You looked quieter than usual.
Did I already mess this up?
He sighed softly.
Dating suddenly felt way more complicated than he imagined.
After a few minutes, he reached for your hand again under the desk.
You looked down.
He started drawing on your palm again.
Stars.
And this time, a small heart.
Your cheeks flushed.
You whispered, "Nicholas…"
"What?" he whispered back, pretending to focus on drawing.
"You’re going to get me in trouble."
"You love it."
You tried not to smile.
After school, you both walked to the café again.
The same one from last time.
You were nervous.
Last time you left crying.
This time… you weren’t sure what would happen.
You both ordered drinks and sat at the same table near the window.
For a few seconds, neither of you spoke.
Then Nicholas suddenly leaned forward.
"So… are we dating?"
You blinked.
"You’re the one who said we should explore it."
"Yeah but what does that mean?"
"I don’t know," you admitted. "I’ve never dated my best friend before."
Nicholas laughed.
"Me neither."
You both stared at each other.
Then started laughing awkwardly.
It felt ridiculous.
Two people who had known each other for years suddenly acting like strangers.
Finally Nicholas sighed.
"Okay, new rule."
"What rule?"
"We stop overthinking."
"That’s impossible."
"We try."
You nodded.
"Deal."
Just then, the café door opened.
A group of students from school walked in.
One of them waved at you.
"Yn! Over here!"
You turned.
"Oh, hey!"
It was one of your classmates. You waved back politely.
Nicholas watched the interaction.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who's that?"
"Just someone from my literature class."
The guy walked over.
"Hey Yn, are you still joining the study group tomorrow?"
"Oh, yeah probably."
"You should. We need someone smart."
You laughed.
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
The guy finally noticed him.
"Oh, hey Nicholas."
Nicholas gave a small nod.
The guy turned back to you.
"Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you."
He left.
Nicholas stared at you.
You sipped your drink.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Nicholas."
"What?"
"You’re doing the thing."
"What thing?"
"The jealous thing."
"I'm not jealous."
"You literally crossed your arms like a dramatic anime character."
Nicholas looked offended.
"I do not look like that."
"You do."
He sighed.
"I just… didn’t know you had study groups."
"Since when do you care about my homework?"
"I always care."
You raised an eyebrow.
Nicholas looked away.
Your eyes softened.
"You know you're allowed to be jealous, right?"
Nicholas quickly shook his head.
"No, I’m not."
"Why not?"
"Because we just started this."
"So?"
"So I don’t want to act weird."
You leaned forward slightly.
"Nicholas." He looked up.
"If you’re jealous, it means you care."
His ears turned red.
"I never said that."
"You don’t have to."
Nicholas looked down at the table.
For once, he looked genuinely shy. You smiled softly. Maybe you two were still awkward.
Still mismatched.
But little by little… You were figuring each other out.
Later that evening, Nicholas walked you home. The sun had already started setting.
You stopped in front of your house.
"Well… this is me." Nicholas nodded. Neither of you moved.
"Goodnight then," you said softly.
Nicholas scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah… goodnight."
You both stood there awkwardly.
Then suddenly Nicholas stepped closer.
Your heart jumped. He leaned down—
And gently rested his forehead against yours.
Your breath caught.
"I’m still learning," he murmured.
Your voice was barely above a whisper.
"Me too."
For a moment, the world felt quiet.
Then Nicholas pulled back quickly.
"O-okay bye."
And he walked away almost immediately.
You stared after him.
Then laughed quietly.
Your best friend.
Your crush.
Your almost-boyfriend.
Still a total idiot.
But maybe…
Your idiot.
That evening, you didn’t even notice how long you had been sitting outside your house with Nicholas still holding your hand.
It wasn’t dramatic. No big confession moment, no sudden clarity, no magical “everything makes sense now” feeling. It was just… quiet. The kind of quiet that didn’t feel empty, but didn’t feel completely full either. You were still processing everything he said earlier, and he was probably doing the same thing, because Nicholas kept looking at your hand like he wasn’t fully sure it was allowed to stay there.
"You’re overthinking again," you muttered eventually, breaking the silence first.
Nicholas blinked, like he had been caught. "I am not."
"You are literally staring at our hands like they’re going to explode."
"I’m just making sure I’m not doing it wrong."
You let out a small breath through your nose, half a laugh, half something softer. That was him. That was always him. Even when he said he wanted to try harder, even when he acted confident for a second, he still looked like he was afraid of pressing the wrong button and ruining everything.
The funny thing was, you were the same.
You just hid it better.
"You don’t have to calculate everything," you said quietly, shifting your fingers slightly in his grip. "It’s not like there’s a correct way to hold my hand."
Nicholas glanced at you. "It kind of feels like there is."
That made you pause.
Because you got it. You really did. This wasn’t just about holding hands or dating or whatever label was supposed to sit between you now. It was about two people who had known each other for years suddenly trying to rewrite the entire dynamic without messing it up.
And somehow, both of you were scared of being the one who caused the mismatch.
You leaned your shoulder slightly against the wall behind you, looking away for a second. "We’re really bad at this."
Nicholas made a sound that was almost a laugh. "Yeah."
A beat.
"But we’re still doing it," he added.
That made you look back at him.
He wasn’t smiling like before. Not fully. It was something more uncertain, more real. Like he wasn’t trying to convince you of anything, just stating what was happening.
You both sat with that for a moment.
Then Nicholas shifted a little closer, not letting go of your hand, just adjusting so it didn’t feel like he was reaching across a gap anymore. "I don’t want you to think I regret it," he said suddenly, voice lower now.
"Regret what?"
"This," he gestured vaguely between you two. "Us. The confession. Any of it."
You shook your head quickly before he even finished. "I don’t think that’s the problem."
"Then what is?"
You hesitated. That was the annoying part. You didn’t even know how to explain it properly because nothing was actually wrong. That was what made it worse. There was no clear break, no obvious failure. Just small moments where things didn’t line up the way you expected them to.
"It’s like…" you started, then stopped, searching for words that didn’t sound stupid. "We know each other really well, but also not at all in this version. Like we started something new but we’re still using old habits."
Nicholas nodded slowly, like that actually made sense to him. "Yeah. That."
Silence again, but not uncomfortable this time. More like both of you were finally describing the same problem in the same language.
You looked at him properly then. His hair was slightly messy from the day, his expression softer now, less tense than earlier. He didn’t look like your best friend only anymore, but he also didn’t fully look like something new either. It was in-between. Exactly that in-between space that neither of you seemed to know how to stand in properly yet.
And somehow, you didn’t hate it.
"You’re still here though," you said after a while, quieter.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow slightly. "Where would I go?"
"I don’t know. Back to just being my annoying best friend."
He laughed at that, properly this time. "I am still your annoying best friend."
"Yeah," you muttered, "that’s the problem."
But you were smiling too.
The sun was almost gone now, leaving that soft grey-blue sky that made everything feel a little slower. You should’ve gone inside ages ago. He should’ve left too. But neither of you moved.
It felt like both of you were waiting for something to become clearer, even though nothing really was.
Nicholas squeezed your hand once, lightly. Not testing it this time, not overthinking it. Just there.
"I think," he said after a moment, "we don’t match perfectly."
You snorted a little. "Wow. Romantic."
He ignored that. "But I also think… I don’t really want someone who matches perfectly anyway. That sounds kind of boring."
You looked at him again, more carefully this time.
There was still uncertainty there. Still that slight hesitation, that gap where confidence should’ve been. But it wasn’t stopping him from staying.
And that was new.
You sighed, leaning your head back slightly. "We’re still going to mess this up sometimes."
"Probably a lot," Nicholas admitted.
That made you laugh again, more genuinely this time. "Great."
"But we’ll still be here," he added, like it was obvious.
That part didn’t sound perfect either. It didn’t sound like a promise carved in stone or some cinematic ending where everything clicks into place. It sounded more like two people acknowledging that they were probably going to be awkward for a long time, and choosing not to disappear because of it.
You shifted closer without really thinking about it, shoulder brushing his this time instead of just your hands being connected. "Okay," you said finally. "But if you mess this up, I’m blaming you."
Nicholas hummed. "Fair."
A pause.
Then he added, slightly softer, "And if you mess it up, I’m still staying."
That made you go quiet for a second.
Not because it was dramatic.
Because it wasn’t.
It was just simple.
Stupidly simple.
Like it didn’t need to be 200% or perfect or aligned or anything like that. Just two people choosing not to let the mismatch turn into distance.
You stood up first eventually, pulling him up with you slightly. "Go home, Nicholas."
He blinked. "You’re kicking me out?"
"It’s literally my house."
"Rude."
But he didn’t let go immediately, even as he started stepping back. His hand lingered for a second longer than necessary before finally slipping away, slow enough that it didn’t feel like a break, just a pause.
"I’ll see you tomorrow?" he asked.
You nodded. "Obviously."
Then, after a beat, you added, "Don’t overthink it again."
Nicholas gave you a look. "I’m not promising that."
You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, I know."
And when he finally walked away down the street, it didn’t feel like a dramatic separation or a perfect resolution. It just felt like the day continuing, like things still being slightly off but not breaking apart because of it.
You stood there for a moment longer, staring at your hand like you could still feel the shape of his fingers there.
Mismatch, you thought again, but this time it didn’t sound like a problem.
More like a fact.
And for now, that was enough.
Tags: @mrsyangsikmoa @xionvlog @riri4andy @kissmetwicebabe @niyashaaa @heesoulnotes @kimyurisworld @fumakiluvr
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH BBG 😭😭🎀🎀
