Ni-ki comforting Y/N when she's feeling low
word count:2167
Author's note: I think this is my new coping mechanism lol
_____________________________________________________________The room was silent, heavy with a darkness that seemed to press against her from all sides. Y/N sat on the edge of her bed, knees pulled close, earphones snug in her ears as music spilled through them. It didn’t matter what song played — the melody was just a blur, a background to the storm inside her mind. She didn’t feel anything, and yet, somehow, she felt too much. Every thought, every emotion crowded her head, twisting and tangling until it became almost impossible to breathe. She tried to push it all away, tried to shove it down into some unreachable corner of herself, but it clung stubbornly, refusing to leave.
She felt low, a heavy, sinking weight pressing against her chest, for no reason she could name. There was no trigger, no cause, no explanation — just this hollow ache that made her feel smaller and smaller with each passing second. She hated it. She hated how vulnerable it made her feel. She hated the emotions she couldn’t control.
Her phone lay facedown on the desk, notifications silenced. No calls, no messages, no interruptions. She wanted it that way. Talking felt impossible. Explaining herself felt like an unbearable task. Feeling anything at all felt like too much. She thought about Ni-ki, her boyfriend, probably worrying about her, but she didn’t have the mental energy to explain anything. The silence of the room, the muffled hum of the music, and the protective cocoon she’d built around herself were the only things that seemed safe.
Yet, even in the darkness, even with the music blaring in her ears, the heaviness in her chest didn’t ease. It only seemed to grow, stretching into every corner of her body, making her heart ache in a way she couldn’t name or reason with. She closed her eyes and tried to disappear into the sound, to make the world, and herself, stop pressing so hard against her. But it didn’t work. Not really.
Meanwhile, Ni-ki stared at his phone, thumb hovering over the screen. Something felt off. Y/N had been unusually quiet all day — no constant story updates, no random selfies, no playful little spam messages flooding his phone like she usually did. He tried to shake it off at first, thinking maybe she was just busy, but the unease in his chest grew.
He sent her a text: “Hey, are you okay?” Nothing. He called. Nothing. Again. Nothing.
With each unanswered message and call, worry gnawed at him. It wasn’t like her to be this silent. Ni-ki’s mind raced with questions, imagining all the possibilities, some of them worse than he wanted to admit. He knew something was wrong. He couldn’t just wait.
Ni-ki stood outside her door, keys in hand, heart pounding in his chest. He knew Y/N had her moments — the times she withdrew, stayed quiet, shut herself off from everyone. He had learned to be patient before, giving her space when she needed it. But tonight felt different.
There was a sharp edge to his worry, sharper than usual. Something about the silence, the way she hadn’t replied to a single message, gnawed at him. This wasn’t just her usual retreat. Ni-ki could feel it in his gut — she was struggling, and she wasn’t just trying to escape the world this time.
Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Ni-ki’s footsteps were soft as he entered her room, careful not to startle her. The door clicked shut behind him, and the familiar darkness of her room swallowed him up. He froze for a moment, taking it all in.
Y/N sat on the edge of her bed, earphones in, shoulders hunched, staring blankly ahead. Her phone lay facedown beside her, notifications silenced. The faint glow from her laptop screen painted her features in a pale, lonely light. She didn’t even notice him enter.
Careful not to startle her, Ni-ki stepped closer, uncertainty knotting his stomach. He didn’t know what to say or do, but he couldn’t just stand there. Slowly, he sat on the edge of the bed a small distance away. The mattress shifted slightly under his weight.
Y/N flinched, finally snapping her head toward him. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, a mix of surprise and uncertainty, as she realized he was there. Her hand instinctively went to her earphones, pulling them out just enough to hear him clearly.
“Ni-ki…” she whispered, voice barely audible, as if speaking louder might break something fragile inside her.
He gave a small, reassuring smile, keeping his tone gentle. “Hey… I’m here,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for coming like this, when you probably needed time to be alone. I was just… worried, and I couldn’t help it.”
He shifted slightly, careful not to startle her, and slowly moved closer. Every small movement was deliberate, gentle, giving her space while letting her know he wasn’t going anywhere.
Finally, he sat down right beside her, close enough for her to feel his presence without feeling crowded. She stiffened for a moment, uncertainty flashing in her eyes, but he didn’t speak — didn’t push. He just stayed there, a quiet anchor in the darkness, letting her know she wasn’t alone.
For a long moment, they stayed like that. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of her music and the soft sound of their breathing. Ni-ki didn’t move, didn’t speak. He just let her presence settle against him, giving her the space she seemed to need.
Slowly, almost instinctively, Y/N leaned closer, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She didn’t say anything, didn’t need to. The simple warmth of him beside her, the steady rhythm of his breathing, made the darkness feel a little less heavy.
Ni-ki’s hand hovered for a second before he gently placed it over hers, holding it softly. He didn’t push, didn’t demand a response. He just stayed there, letting her know — without words — that he was there, that she wasn’t alone, and that it was okay to just… feel, even when it hurt.
Ni-ki stayed still for a moment, letting her rest on his shoulder, feeling the tension in her slowly ease. Then, his voice broke the silence, soft and careful, as if testing the waters.
“Y/N… do you want to… talk about it?” he asked slowly, almost whispering, giving her the option without pressure.
Y/N stayed quiet for a few moments, then shifted slightly, snuggling closer into Ni-ki’s shoulder. The warmth and steadiness of him beside her made the weight in her chest feel a little lighter.
Finally, she let out a small, hesitant whisper, barely audible. “I… I don’t know.”
Ni-ki felt her tremble slightly against him and lowered his voice, gentle but insistent. “Hey… talk to me,” he whispered softly, careful not to rush her, letting her know he was ready to listen whenever she was.
Y/N hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke, still resting her head on his shoulder. “Life just… feels weird,” she admitted, the words heavy with unspoken emotion.
Ni-ki’s brow furrowed slightly, concern softening his expression. He turned his head just enough to look at her, keeping his voice gentle. “What do you mean?” he asked, careful not to push, just wanting to understand, to be there for her.
Y/N’s voice wavered as she tried to put it into words. “It feels… dull,” she murmured. “I don’t feel interested in anything anymore. It’s like life is on repeat, and I feel so unmotivated and lonely.” She paused, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. “I’m not even really lonely, but this feeling… it just doesn’t go away.”
Ni-ki’s heart ached as he listened. He didn’t interrupt her, didn’t try to fix it right away — he just let her speak. His thumb brushed softly over the back of her hand, a steady motion to let her know he was there.
Ni-ki gently shifted so he could wrap an arm around her, pulling her slightly closer. “It’s okay,” he murmured, his voice soft and soothing. “You don’t have to fight it on your own. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s valid. And I’m not going anywhere.”
He pressed a light kiss to the top of her head, letting her feel his presence. “We don’t have to fix it right now. We can just… sit here. Together. You can lean on me, Y/N. It’s okay to feel like this.”
He held her a little tighter, careful not to smother her, just enough to let her know she wasn’t alone. “I know it’s hard,” he whispered, “and I can’t make it all better instantly. But I can stay here. I can listen, or just… be with you. We can take it one breath at a time.”
Ni-ki ran a gentle hand through her hair, fingers brushing lightly across her scalp. “It’s okay if you don’t have words,” he added softly. “You don’t have to explain everything. Just let yourself feel it, and I’ll be here. You don’t have to carry this weight alone.”
Y/N stayed pressed against him for a long moment, her fingers curling around his hand. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she whispered, “You know how much I hate feeling things… and I hate it when I feel so low but nothing at all.”
Ni-ki shifted slightly, keeping his arm firmly but gently around her. “It’s okay to feel like this,” he murmured, his voice soft and steady. “You don’t have to fight it, you don’t have to push it away. You don’t have to pretend that everything’s fine, not with me.”
He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, letting his fingers linger lightly on her cheek. “I wish I could take it all away for you,” he whispered. “But I can’t… what I can do is stay here. I can hold you, sit with you, and be here while you let it out, even if it’s just a little at a time.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, Y/N allowed herself to fully lean into him, closing her eyes. The heaviness in her chest didn’t vanish, but having him there — patient, understanding, unwavering — made it feel like it could be endured. She wasn’t alone, and just knowing he was there made her feel… better, like she could breathe a little easier for the first time in a long while.
Y/N lifted her head just slightly from his shoulder, her voice soft and small. “Thank you, Ni-ki,” she whispered, the words barely audible but filled with genuine gratitude.
Ni-ki smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured. “I’m just glad I can be here for you. Always.”
Y/N closed her eyes again, letting herself relax into him fully, feeling safer and lighter simply because he was by her side.
