nichozzy

[nichozzystuffs]

Welcome to the Cafe 🍓

✩°｡🧸𓏲⋆.🧋𖦹 ₊˚

Oh Hello!! You arrived just in time. The pastries are fresh from the oven, coffee's still warm, and there's always a quiet seat waiting for you by the window.

Feel free to browse the menu, stay for a while, and take whatever brings you comfort.

.*･. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ 🍓་ ༘࿐

OH!! wait a second!! … Let me change the playlist for you!!

🎧Currently playing… Lover's Rock - TV Girl

Perfect!!!

now then, are you ready to order?

GUIDE

(old intro post)

[yumangel]

hidden affection - 宏田力

(2.5k words)

warnings: nothing really! fluff, older brother nicho, maki is sweet asf but also kind of an idiot

a/n: dedicated specifically to kayz bcs that girl is crazy abt maki and i adore her with my whole entire heart ^w^ spent a lil more time on this one (which is to say i didn't write it in one sitting) so i hope it paid off hehe

experiencing a crush was surely a strange endeavour.

it was nonsensical. absurd, even. to have all your thoughts taken over by one person every breathing second, to experience a physical reaction each time their smile flashed before your eyes, each time they greeted you or said goodbye, the so-called ‘butterflies’ erupting in your stomach at each mention of their name or whenever you’d accidentally make eye contact with them across the room. you despised that feeling — that vulnerability of having your entire mood rely on someone’s acknowledgment of you or lack thereof, the way your face heated up each time said acknowledgment actually happened. 

under different circumstances, it would’ve been harmless — just a fleeting feeling meant to pass eventually just like every other thing in life does. under different circumstances, you wouldn’t have paid that much attention to that emotion, wouldn’t have been so incredibly frustrated whenever that familiar ache rose in your chest. but this case was different, special. 

he was special.

maki has been in your life ever since you could remember but not quite in your life, either, courtesy of being your brother’s best friend. it was a double edged sword, his presence — both a blessing and a curse in its own peculiar way. you enjoyed having him around, yet couldn’t help but fluster whenever he’d talk to you directly or whenever you’d be left alone in one room while nicholas went out to grab snacks. you detested the feelings your mind has brought upon you whenever you were near him and yet his presence was a constant in your life you wished would never leave from it. you’d get sulky whenever he came over to hang out with your brother yet deny every possible invitation to spend your time with them, opting for the safety and comfort of your own bedroom instead. 

having him in near vicinity was enough for you to be satisfied while maintaining the safety of not being found out. after all, there was no way you could’ve ever worked out — nicholas would probably rather shave all his hair off than allow you to be romantically involved with any of his friends. whether it was protectiveness or selfishness, you didn’t know, but you knew not to try and piss him off. you thought that when you grow older, it’ll all fade away, and that the crush you had on maki would prove to be nothing more than just that: a crush, a silly emotion not meant to last for longer. but you were wrong, oh so wrong.

it had lingered well into your adulthood, following you like a shadow through middle school, highschool, your graduation all the way until now. and with all this time passing and the feeling still staying as strong as ever, you simply began to accept it.

you kept your distance. you smiled and greeted maki whenever he’d come over then disappeared into your room, made polite small talk when all of you sat down at the dinner table, sat on the other end of the couch whenever nicholas would invite him over for a movie night, insisting that you tag along as well. 

as time passed and you both grew up, you had grown accustomed to the situation, to that feeling gnawing at your heart — to just how frequently you saw him hanging out at your place, always with the same smile on his face he had since you first met him despite being an adult now. you also became better at hiding your affection towards the boy: becoming fluent in the art of pretending, proficient in disappearing out of his sight before he, or worse, your brother, could catch a glimpse of your reddened cheeks. 

yet in this world, nothing stays hidden forever — for even the secrets concealed behind the smartest of deceptions can come to light once the right moment arises. and it just so seemed like your time has ran out. 

maki seemed to notice the confusion painted across your face that evening as you opened the door almost immediately — brows furrowed as you noticed his tall frame, the boy standing on the other side of the entrance with his usual smile and a bag of what you assumed to be snacks in his right hand. you could feel that familiar ache in your heart the moment your eyes met his but decided to ignore it, focusing instead on greeting him politely.

‘can i come in?’ he asked, already moving towards the hall and you let him — moving out of his way just enough for him to be able to walk past you, leaving the door creaked open just slightly. his fingers accidentally brushed yours as he slid inside and you almost shivered at the sudden contact, the remnants of his delicate touch lingering on your body like a reminder, a threat: you can’t keep your feelings from him hidden for forever.

you stayed still in the same spot you stood in when you opened the door and that, along with the fact that you hadn’t in fact closed it, made maki stop in his tracks. his head immediately turned to face you, halfway through taking his shoes off, almost as if awaiting for an explanation as to why you haven’t yet ran up to your room, why he hadn’t heard nicholas from the living room yet. 

‘nicho’s not here today.’ you muttered softly, playing with your fingers in an absentminded manner. ‘i don’t want to sound rude, but, um, why are you here, maki?’

‘oh, i’m just here to play with cali!’ he exclaimed enthusiastically, a little too fast, too… rehearsed. 

‘you came over to hang out with… the dog?’

maki smiled proudly, that signature smile of his which made your knees weak each time you saw it, nodding with vigour as he straightened up his posture.

‘precisely.’

you had no choice but to let him inside — he was maki, after all. 

‘where is nicho anyways?’ he asked, moving deeper inside. he moved around the house as if it was his own — and given the many, many times he had been there, it might’ve as well been his house, too. 

‘he’s at euijoo’s apartment.’ you explained, eyes carefully scanning maki’s movements as he pulled out what seemed to be a packet of dog snacks. he shook the packaging in his hand, the sound of food moving inside of it immediately alarming cali, who ran up to him with pure excitement in her eyes. you couldn’t help but smile at the sight, as you continued explaining your brother’s whereabouts. ‘from what i understood he needed help with moving and assembling some new furniture for his bedroom. either a wardrobe or a bed, i’m not sure.’

maki chuckled as he crouched down, his hands immediately finding cali’s head as he gently petted her, his other hand holding out snacks for her to munch on. 

‘i doubt he’d be much help for euijoo.’ he stated, taking another handful of snacks so that your dog could eat some more. ‘i asked him for help with assembling my desk once — took us six hours and in the end i still had to ask my dad for help.’

‘typical nicho.’ you laughed, kneeling down next to him to play with cali too. ‘my parents never ask him for help with anything handyman related because they know it’ll add at least two hours to the time spent on doing it and will take away a year from their lifespan.’

a comfortable silence took over the kitchen, only sound disrupting it being cali’s panting and crunching as she devoured another batch of snacks from maki’s hand, basking in the attention she was getting from both him and you like a spoiled little kid who finally got what she wanted. maki’s gaze shifted towards you for a second — to the way you smile ever so softly while petting cali, to the way your eyes glimmered with affection each time you looked at her. he couldn’t help but smile himself: a familiar, warm feeling settling in his chest before he looked away, not wanting to be found out. 

after getting a satisfactory amount of snacks from her favorite house guest, cali decided it was her time to nap — settling herself on the couch in the living room, making herself comfortable on her very own ‘throne’ made from blankets and her most treasured toys. both you and maki plopped on opposite sides of her with a soft thump. the tv was already on, displaying a youtube commentary video you were previously watching, currently paused because of maki’s interruption. you reached for the remote, ready to turn the video off and change it to some tv show you could watch with him when maki stopped you — or rather, his hand did. 

maki’s hand gripped your wrist instinctively before you were able to click anything, his grip gentle. both of you froze in your movements — your surprise at the sudden contact evident on your face as you glanced towards him, his own face heating up in embarrassment at his involuntary action. 

‘uh, you don’t have to change it just because i’m here, you know.’ he muttered, trying to explain himself as reasonably as he could without sounding like a moron. the air around you was filled with awkward energy, the type of energy you always avoided with maki by simply slipping upstairs before anything of this sort could happen. ‘i was meaning to watch this video anyways.’ 

‘really?’ you questioned, voice quiet. surprisingly enough, your eyes still didn’t leave his — almost entranced by his gaze on you. ‘didn’t take you as the type to watch commentary content.’

‘i’m too chronically online for my own good, of course i watch commentary content.’ he joked, trying to ease up the atmosphere. you couldn’t help but giggle at his comment, proving his attempt to be successful. 

but then your attention shifted to something else. 

his hands was still on yours, the skin of his fingers wrapped around your wrist hot against your own. not only that, but you didn’t even notice when you had moved closer to him — faces above cali’s sleeping body alarmingly close to one another. maki seemed to notice too, the two of you pulling away at the exact same moment, truly a comical sight. 

and yet the warmth of his touch lingered on your body still, like a reminder of his presence once so close to you. 

the tension in the air loosened up over time — with both you and maki throwing in little comments of your own at the video, the conversation flowing between you two seemingly as natural as breathing. when the video ended, maki urged you to turn on another one about a topic that both of you found interesting: and then another, and another. you didn’t even realise how much time has passed since he first arrived until you heard your phone buzz right next to you, the screen flashing with a message from your brother. 

‘just finished!! we’re going out for drinks now. will probably be home around 3am, unless i end up staying at euijoo’s. don’t miss me too much ;))’

you glanced in maki’s direction, the boy now in the kitchen to retrieve the snacks he had previously brought and forgot about, and sighed deeply. you were genuinely enjoying the time spent with your brother’s best friend — the fact that this singular message has probably brought it to its end made you frown involuntarily, almost on instinct. 

maki sat himself down on the couch once more, a satisfied smile on his face as he opened one pack of chips. he was ready to dig in, hand already reaching for the snack inside, when you stopped him. 

‘nicho’s not coming anytime soon.’ you mumbled, his attention immediately turning towards you. his head tilted slightly, waiting for you to explain — getting said explanation when you showed him the message your brother had sent you just minutes before. 

maki’s smile fell immediately. 

‘oh.’ he whispered.

‘yeah.’ you answered, eyes falling down to the floor. ‘i think that means you should go home now. since, you know, you have no reason to stay here.’

‘can i tell you something?’ maki asked. your question caught him off guard — gaze lifting up to meet his, head tilted to the side just slightly in a sign of confusion. ‘i didn’t come here for your brother.’

‘what?’

‘i came here for you.’ his voice echoed through the living room, the video playing on the tv screen seemingly forgotten, insignificant now. ‘i knew nicholas wouldn’t be here today. i came here because i wanted to see you.’

his words were followed by a wave of silence, and all of a sudden you felt like all of those feelings of affection and longing and fondness crashed into you all at once — with an impressive power almost sweeping you off your feet. you didn’t dare speak, or more so couldn’t bring yourself to do so: unsure of what he meant by it, not wanting to get your hopes up or misunderstand his unfinished statement. 

maki seemed to get the hint of what your quietness meant.

‘i like you- no, i love you. much more than i probably should.’ he continued, his breathing slightly faster than usual, face already heating up at this vulnerable confession. ‘i don’t know whether you feel the same, but i couldn’t hold it inside any longer. i might’ve exploded if i had to hold myself back from saying it for even a day more. i like you — so much so that it aches me whenever i see you smile or hear your laugh, even just when we see each other for the fleeting moment it takes you to open the door for me and disappear upstairs. you don’t have to accept this confession-’

‘maki, i like you too.’ you cut him off mid sentence, before he was even able to spout any nonsense about you turning him down. you couldn't bear to hear him even imply something of that sort — and taken over by a newfound and probably very temporary sense of confidence, you decided not to hold yourself back this time. 

the boy almost gasped in surprise when he noticed you lean in, hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt before pulling him closer and smashing your lips against his. the kiss was messy and imperfect in almost every way — noses bumping, teeth clashing occasionally, neither of you knowing how much energy to give into it or what it should truly look and feel like. but the beauty of this moment rested not in the knowledge you possessed of kissing but rather the intimacy of the act alone: the mutual pining finally let out of its cage and spreading its wings in a beautiful act of affection shared between two people who were surely waiting for this moment for far too long. 

both you and maki managed to get the gist of it eventually — his hands finding your waist, lips moving against one another more harmonically, bodies heating up from the newfound sensation. in that moment, all that truly mattered was you and him: the outside world was merely a muffled sound, a stage for your final act of lifelong longing for maki to finally come to a resolve. 

perm taglist: @nichozzystuffs @woonhakfeet @ivehan @haorangis @choco-scoups @littlegummystar @mxriitaesz @luvkeiiii @ikigaijo

&team taglist: @starshuas @minhosimthings @makizdoll @ricewithjo @deerhuntings @livelaughloveseventeen

networks: @berrybittynetwork

[nichozzystuffs]

fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff

[makizdoll]

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY TO MY GLORIOUS KING LEE HAECHAN !!!!!!

honestly i have no idea why im making this post genuinely i never do shit like this, but i just feel like it.

wellllll so i met haechan in 2019 (long fucking time), nct was so overwhelming, so many people, amazing music, insanely talented, creative and new stuff nct has given me. i loved them sm since the day i knew them but ofc haechan stood out to me with his vocals, and dance especially. he's so damn fluid with his moments and love his dance style so much. his witty personality, sunshine moments, and that goddamn adorable laugh UGH he's been my 'ideal type' (i kinda cringe at that term now i don't know why) but yeah i loved him in all ways possible. (14 year old me was DOWN BADDDDDDDDD)

through almost 7 years (dafuq) hyuck has never faltered to mesmerize me with everything he does. definitely the most prominent event was the release of his so album. TASTE is everything to me, as much as it is to him. his first album, his first full album, the album that has chunks of him, his interests and things that define him blended into it's tracks.

and as a person, he kind of shaped me into what i am today because i kinda grew up with him and nct throughout my teens. i have learnt passion from haechan, i have learnt relentlessness from haechan and i have learnt to always give my best from haechan (which i doubt if i really do, but i try) his personality inspired me to always strive to be the best version of myself even if i do fall back sometimes, and also to be the sunshine in everyone's life. i try to be the sunshine in everyone's life, i hope he knows he taught me to do so. aaanddd well i could say it a hundred times, he's so so passionate and LOVES his job, and he's extremely talented and smart which honestly surprises me sometimes. book smart, street smart, people smart. he's incredible.

i honestly don't think i will ever love any celebrity like i love him. i admire him so so much, i admire him immensely and he will always be my favourite (cue 127). he's 27 now goshhhhh, i knew him since he was like 19 oh my goddd im kinda in tears ughhh he grew up so well, regardless of what difficulties he had faced and im so so proud of him. im so proud of him for being patient, passionate, lovely, beautiful, everything else idk what to say anyways

happiest birthday my dearest full sun :( i love him so so much i hope he always is happy and gets whatever he wishes for in life, i hope the world is kind to him, i hope he always receives kindness and love from all the people he meets and treasures

[jellyluvsjihoon]

ᯓ dusk with you ★ (c.yj)

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ now i’m no longer alone

⸝⸝ in which! youngjae and you view the sunset together ✿ genre! bf!youngjae x reader. fluff without plot. ۶ৎ warning(s) skinship, not proofread › wc! 0.9k. ♡ happy b’day to my favorite guinea pig <3 𖧧 @fantasia-films; @k-records @berrybittynetwork

── ✶ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 & 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

The wind blew against your face, and the sound of the bells echoed in your ears.

You were in the middle of nowhere, in a completely empty parking lot. The sun had begun to set, and pastel colors—pinks, oranges, and blues—painted the entire sky.

Your hair, wild in the wind, was blowing in every direction. And by your side, there was Youngjae.

You didn’t know where you were, but that was part of the fun. If you were going to get lost, at least let it be together. Even if it was because of that useless Google Maps (or your terrible sense of orientation).

Cars passed by you every now and then, but for some reason, they never stopped where you and he were. As if it were a secret place, just for the two of you. One that the rest of the world respected. If you looked forward, there was only a vast river and more and more mountains.

It couldn’t have been more perfect.

A laugh escaped your lips as you squeezed Youngjae’s hand, your fingers intertwined like a vine.

He looked at you and smiled, giving you a gentle, playful nudge.

“What are you laughing at now?” he asked, his eyes almost closed from the smile.

You shook your head. “At nothing. I’m just happy.”

“Happy?” he said, tilting his head.

“Yes.” You smiled from ear to ear. “Aren’t you?”

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind in a split second, but none of them had anything to do with being unhappy. In fact, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. Right there. Next to you.

“Hm,” he nodded, his hair blowing across his forehead in the wind. That alone made you laugh again.

“You know?”

“Tell me,” you looked at him.

“I don’t know how we ended up like this.” He smiled. “But I love it.”

You smiled back.

“Me too.”

He let out a breathless laugh. Was this what happiness felt like? It was a strange one, for sure. He’d never felt that kind of joy before. Nevertheless, he definitely wanted to feel it again.

Suddenly, you started running toward the fences separating the road from the parking lot, and he followed right behind you, like a chain reaction. Though he wasn’t running, because his legs were way longer than yours and he didn’t need to run to keep up with you.

“What’s going on?” he said, accompanied by a little chuckle. You turned around, letting go of his hand, and looked at him with those sparkling eyes that drove him wild.

“Want a picture? It’d be a shame not to take one with you looking this handsome today. The GC could do a whole photoshoot for you right now.” You winked at him.

A pink flush spread across his cheeks and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t exaggerate… but okay.” He stepped closer to you, taking your hands again, while swaying them from side to side. His back arched, his gaze amused. “Only if you promise we can take one together later.”

You smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the nose, taking advantage of his closeness. “It’s a deal.”

Taking photos of Youngjae was one of your favorite hobbies—though the only exercise you got was running back and forth across the office, so you weren’t sure if it really counted. He posed like a pro (maybe because he was one) and always let you snap a photo of him pouting or doing the kind of idol stuff he’d be too embarrassed to do outside of his idol persona.

Aegyo was one of your favorites. Although you didn’t ask him for it that time.

With his super-expensive smartphone, you took photos of him.

Lots of photos.

Different angles, different poses.

So many photos that Youngjae started to feel like he was really in a work shoot. And even though he felt bad interrupting you when you were in your flow state, he’d had enough of photos.

He didn’t need a photo to remember this.

A gust of cold wind blew and out of reflex, he hugged himself because of the sudden chill.

“Sweetie.” He called out to you, looking at the camera. “I’m cold.”

You took your eye off the phone’s camera. “Cold?” you asked, getting up from the floor and quickly coming over to give him a warm hug. “Do you want my gloves? Or my hat? Or my coat? I told you to bring an extra layer, but you never listen to me, Jae…”

He snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, I should had. But I’m fine like this with you; I don’t need anything else, really.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, concerned. “I have another scarf in my pocket…”

He narrowed his eyes, frowned, and kept smiling, puzzled. “Another scarf? Why would you want more scarves if you already have one?”  The boy teased.

“Hey! Who knows. Maybe it was just in case you got cold.”

Youngjae laughed, this time fully and freely. “Yeah, right.”

“It’s a possibility.” You defended yourself, raising your hands, but laughing too.

“Uh-huh.” He replied, and kissed the top of your head. “You’re one of a kind.”

You smiled, snuggling closer to him.

“Maybe that’s why I’m your girlfriend.”

For some reason, hearing that word come from your lips made everything in Youngjae tremble, and gave him goosebumps. Maybe he was still having a hard time processing the fact that you were his girlfriend.

His girlfriend. You were his girlfriend. Just… wow.

“Maybe.”

Needless to say, those photos went straight to his Weverse. He knew 42 would love them just as much as he did. Because, after all, you were a professional at taking photos, weren’t you?

Just as you were at stealing his heart.

© jellyluvsjihoon 2026. do not copy or repost. ask to translate. (cr for the dividers to @tsumiinum)

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅ perm taglist: @brachio-ton; @hyeonscoffee; @yojeunilove; @twsforlife; @sunnyhighlights, @woonhakfeet. join here!

[bandagedthoughtsblog]

[nichozzystuffs]

[nichozzystuffs]

i fucking hate him i hate men sm

[nichozzystuffs]

"dont you love me anymore?"

"of course i do… i do love you very much... but i love myself as well."

oh

[minhosimthings]

Understand || WYX

Take you by the hand, you're the only one who understands

Pairing: Nicholas x fem!reader

Warnings: floofy floofy fluff, dancing in the rain yay, cuddlesss, mona poetry did you miss her?

A/N: Sometimes this man makes me want to nom nom him and give him all the honey jars in the world. As always, enjoy, my darlings!

Word Count: 2.1k (rare mona short fic + poetry we clapped)

A philosophical question to ponder upon: does Happiness count if it was experienced in a dream? Do those milliseconds of joy count in the small jar of Happiness? 

When we think to answer that question, we must also consider some other factors. Does Happiness count if it was experienced whilst listening to your favourite song? Does Happiness count if it was a stranger's on the road, but you saw their sunlit smile and smiled anyways? Does Happiness count if it stems from revenge or jealousy? Does Happiness count in every form no matter what?

Does Happiness count when it's felt under a rainy sky, dancing with a lover?

Dancing with Nicholas felt like a dream (in which case, yes, Happiness would count), a dream you’d hate to wake up from. 

Since the beginning of your relationship till now, dancing with him has remained a constant in the equation of your love. You remembered the very first time you danced with him in a kitchen too small for the both of you, the radio crackling somewhere between stations while rain tapped gently against the windows.

Nicholas had laughed when you stepped on his foot, that warm, surprised laugh that always sounded as though joy had caught him off guard. He’d spun you anyway, careless and certain, like the world beyond those dim yellow lights did not exist.

Back then, you thought love announced itself loudly. You thought it would arrive with orchestras and lightning bolts and a certainty that would rival that of the man resting in the sky.

Love arrived quietly: in sock-sliding turns across worn floorboards, in fingers curling instinctively around yours, in the way Nicholas always seemed to know when to pull you closer before the song even slowed.

"Would you like to dance?" was a familiar lyric from his pretty mouth, said in that low, comforting tone of his that always had you weak at your knees.

Today was no different. Except for the fact that raindrops were falling from the heavens, a rather obstinate reminder that what goes from the earth, comes back to her eventually.

The day had been cruel in all the quiet ways that exhaustion often was.

Nothing catastrophic had happened—no screaming arguments, no shattered glass, no tragedies worthy of novels. Just an endless accumulation of smaller things. Missed calls, harsh words that lingered too long, a headache blooming stubbornly behind your eyes—the sort of day that hollowed you out slowly, until breathing felt like an obligation rather than instinct.

By evening, the rain had begun.

You sat curled beside the living room window with a book open in your lap, though you had not turned a page in nearly twenty minutes. The words blurred together meaninglessly as your eyes drifted shut every now and then, heavy with fatigue. Outside, the drizzle painted silver trails down the glass, soft and rhythmic enough to lull the entire world into sleep. The house smelled faintly of rainwater and old paper.

You barely heard the front door open. Then came the familiar sound of keys dropped into the ceramic bowl near the entrance, followed by footsteps crossing the floorboards.

Your name, spoken gently. Nicholas’ voice always carried warmth in it, even after long workdays. Especially after long workdays, when he knew that a lover's tranquil atmosphere could heal the bloodiest and the gravest of wounds.

You looked up slowly from your book. He had loosened his tie on the drive home, the collar of his shirt slightly damp from the weather outside. Rain clung to his coat in darkened patches, his curls messier than usual from the wind.

The moment your beloved's eyes landed on you, something in his expression softened. He took one step closer, then another, until he stood in front of where you sat tucked against the window.

“Hey ." He murmured quietly.

You attempted a smile, though it came out tired around the edges. “Hi.”

Nicholas studied you for a moment longer, gaze tracing the untouched book in your lap, the blanket tangled around your legs, the distant look still clouding your face. Without another word, he held out his hand.

“Would you like to dance?”

The question settled into the room like candlelight.

Normally, he would already be reaching for the record player by now, teasing you over song choices while pulling you into the kitchen. But this time, no music followed, no crackle of vinyl, no familiar melody drifting through the house.

"No music?" You frowned softly.

His mouth curved into that crooked, beautiful smile of his—the one that always felt a little conspiratorial, like he knew something wonderful you didn’t yet.

“Don’t need any.”

Before you could question him further, his fingers curled around yours, warm and steady, tugging you gently to your feet.

And then he led you outside.

The back door creaked open to cool evening air and the scent of wet earth. Rain drizzled lazily from the dark sky, soft enough not to sting, just enough to kiss your skin in scattered droplets. The backyard glimmered under the porchlight, grass jeweled with water, puddles reflecting fractured gold.

“Nicholas—” you started, laughing breathlessly as he pulled you down the porch steps.

“Hm?”

“It’s raining.”

“I noticed.”

Yet he kept going until you stood together in the middle of the yard, rain dampening your sleeves and hair alike.

For a while, the rain remained gentle—drifted around the two of you in a silver mist, clinging to Nicholas’ lashes and soaking slowly through the fabric of your sleeves. His hand stayed warm against your waist despite the cold, guiding you in lazy circles through the wet grass as though the entire backyard had transformed into a ballroom meant only for the two of you.

There was no music. Only the drizzle tapping against leaves. Only your uneven breathing slowly syncing with his. Only the quiet squelch of wet grass beneath your feet as he spun you lazily beneath the clouds.

Nicholas danced with you in the backyard as though sorrow could be washed away by rain alone (it could, if you let it). And somehow, in his arms, for a little while, it almost could.

 You rested your forehead briefly against his shoulder, laughing softly when he attempted an exaggerated spin that nearly sent both of you slipping sideways into a puddle.

“Oh my God,” you wheezed through your laughter. “You’re terrible at this.”

Nicholas gasped dramatically. “Terrible? I’ll have you know I’m an excellent dancer.”

“You almost killed us just now.” You laughed, your beloved never failed to coax that sound out from you.

“But did you die?”

You snorted, shaking your head as rainwater dripped from your hair. Nicholas grinned at the sound, visibly pleased with himself in the way he always was whenever he managed to pull laughter from you.

The porchlight cast everything in soft gold around him. Rain shimmered against his skin. His shirt clung damply to his shoulders now, curls flattened messily against his forehead.

Beautiful, you thought absently, hopelessly beautiful.

Then the sky cracked softly overhead. The drizzle thickened almost without warning. One moment it was gentle droplets brushing your skin; the next, rain came pouring down in earnest, sudden and heavy enough to soak through both of you within seconds.

“Nicho!” you shrieked, laughing as icy water splashed down your neck.

He burst into laughter too, tilting his face briefly toward the sky before grabbing your hand tighter.

“Run!”

You both bolted toward the house through the downpour, nearly slipping across the muddy grass in your haste. Nicholas kept laughing the entire way, loud and breathless and wonderfully unrestrained, while you stumbled beside him half-blind from rainwater.

By the time you reached the porch steps, both of you were drenched.

Nicholas yanked the back door open and ushered you inside first, the warmth of the house wrapping around you . Rainwater dripped onto the hardwood floors as you both stood there panting and soaked to the bone.

For a second, neither of you spoke. Then you looked at him. His hair was dripping into his eyes. His clothes were ruined. There was mud splattered along the hem of his trousers and rainwater running down the bridge of his nose.

And he was smiling at you like you were the best thing he’d seen all day.

A helpless laugh escaped you.

Nicholas stepped closer, still catching his breath. “Feel any better?”

You looked down at your soaked clothes, the puddles gathering beneath your feet, the lingering ache in your chest now softened into something lighter.

“A little,” you admitted.

His smile was gentle. "Good.”

And somehow, standing there dripping rainwater onto the kitchen floor with Nicholas’ hand curled around yours, a little felt like everything.

Later, after dry clothes and tangled laughter and the soft domesticity of towels abandoned carelessly across the bathroom floor, the evening settled into quietness.

The storm outside continued unabashedly, rain thrumming against the roof and windows, but inside the bedroom everything felt warm and dim and safe. The bedside lamp cast amber light across rumpled blankets while the scent of rain lingered faintly in the air, softened now by clean cotton and Nicholas’ shampoo.

You lay curled against him beneath the covers, head resting over his chest as though it belonged there. Maybe it did.

Nicholas was warm in a way that reminded you of tea with honey. The sort of warmth that spread slowly through you until the sharpest parts of the day dissolved at the edges. Being held by him felt like that first sip after coming in from the cold—sweet, steady, healing in ways too quiet to explain properly.

His fingers drifted lazily up and down your back beneath the blanket, absentminded and affectionate. Every now and then, you felt the low rumble of his chest when he sighed contentedly.

Outside, thunder murmured somewhere far away. Inside, Nicholas pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. You felt it more than heard it—the gentle press of lips against your hair, lingering for a second longer than necessary.

“Tired?” he murmured.

“Mhm.”

Another slow stroke along your spine. “Better than earlier?”

You smiled against his shirt, eyes already heavy with sleep. “Much.”

His heartbeat thudded steadily beneath your cheek. Calm, familiar, home. For a little while, neither of you spoke again. There was no need to. They made lovers from the same pieces of dying stars just so they neither needed voices nor words to communicate. One star piece twinkled at the other, and the earthlings called it science.

You knew it was only good old love.

The rain continued beyond the windows, the world carried on spinning with all its noise and complications, but here in the quiet dark, wrapped in Nicholas’ arms, everything softened into stillness.

And perhaps that was the answer to the question. Does Happiness count if it was in a dream?

Maybe Happiness did not need permanence to count.

A song ends. A stranger passes by. Rain dries. Dreams dissolve by morning, slipping through your hands no matter how tightly you try to hold them. Yet while they exist, they alter you. They leave behind warmth like sunlight on fabric, faint but undeniable.

No one would claim a sunset meant nothing simply because night followed it.

So yes—dream Happiness counted. Fleeting Happiness counted. Borrowed Happiness counted, the kind gathered from watching headlights smear gold across wet pavement at midnight. Or from hearing someone you love laugh in the next room and realizing, suddenly and without warning, that you are glad to be alive at the same time they are.

And Nicholas counted too.

Happiness with him rarely arrived in dramatic waves; instead, it settled quietly into the spaces between things. In rain-soaked dancing. In tired smiles across kitchen counters. In warm hands finding yours instinctively beneath blankets half past midnight.

Perhaps that was the truest kind of Happiness of all—the kind that did not demand to be remembered forever in order to matter. Happiness was never meant to be permanent. Nothing living ever is.

Flowers wilt. Songs fade into static. Even the brightest summers surrender eventually to autumn. Yet we do not call them meaningless because they end. We call them beautiful because they happened at all.

Nicholas taught you that joy could be gentle. That love could exist in soft repetitions. That even the smallest moments—a kiss against your temple, laughter spilling through a storm, the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek—were enough to leave permanent marks upon a heart.

Maybe that was why Happiness counted, no matter how fleeting it seemed.

Because even after the music faded, you still remembered how it felt to dance.

And somewhere in the small jar of Happiness you carried within yourself, another second slipped softly into place.

fin.

A/N: can you tell the capitalised H was inspired by The god of small things. and the first sentence too? Please tell me you got the reference

divider by @dividers-are-us

@eu1joo @kwnnies @nichozzystuffs @blueuijoo @pglpblm @ikigaijo @antonh0lic @dearvampyr @riri4andy @tokunodoll @sunsoomi @makizdoll + Shoot me an ask or comment to be added!

@berrybittynetwork my beloveds

[ju6iter]

[littlemisshelena]

[nichozzystuffs]

man i wanna smoke so bad

[bandagedthoughtsblog]

[nichozzystuffs]

sigh

[endoll]

Stop deleting ur accounts just delete the app i want to read ur fics still😭😭😭💔💔💔

[makizdoll]

Izzy washing her hands (clearing the tt history) after gooning (no other replacement she gooned fr) to mackiah mercer within 3 days of knowing his existence. @nichozzystuffs explain

[nichozzystuffs]

this is NOT me no i did not take this screenshot respectfully its ai and the person who sent this clearly mentions that they're depressed and wanna get choked by mackiah

ANYWAYS no

[makizdoll]

'Leave me the fuck alone' no

[nichozzystuffs]

OH COME ON FUCK YOU

Imagine if someone searches #mackiah and see ts😭😭😭😭😭

[makizdoll]

Izzy washing her hands (clearing the tt history) after gooning (no other replacement she gooned fr) to mackiah mercer within 3 days of knowing his existence. @nichozzystuffs explain

[nichozzystuffs]

this is NOT me no i did not take this screenshot respectfully its ai and the person who sent this clearly mentions that they're depressed and wanna get choked by mackiah

ANYWAYS no