summary: when nikola agrees to spend his break in thailand, he didn’t think that his broken heart would be slowly repaired by tas’ best friend
warnings: reader is thai and is shorter than nikola, reader isn’t fluent in english, tasanapol will be referred as tas, text that looks “like this” means they’re speaking thai
pairing: fem! reader x nikola tsolov
genre: fluff
requested: yes
author note: it’s finally here 😭😭
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when tas told nikola that they should spend their break together in thailand, he denied.
sure, his only plan during the break was to just rot in his bed while listening to sad music as he scrolled through old photos and messages with his ex-girlfriend, but tas had forced his hand by getting his parents to agree with the thai drivers plan.
it had only seven months and twenty-five days since the breakup, but nikola still felt like it was yesterday. he tried not to let it affect him, but his results spoke for themselves — sure, they weren’t that terrible, but compared to his usual form? yeah, everyone would tell that something had happened.
nikola didn’t expect much from being in thailand.
but, then she came along.
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small flashback:
nikola was starting to believe that the sun held a personal grudge against him because not only is he close to drowning in his own sweat that not even the water rides could cool him down enough, but also believes that he's probably hallucinating.
why does he think that he's hallucinating?
simple.
why would a random girl who he's never seen in his entire life randomly offer him a full water bottle and some snack he's certain tas claims is basically poision disguised as food?
he stared at the girl who tilted her head to the side while a soft smile formed.
"i'm y/n, but you can call me n/n"
nikola's certain that he's heard that name before... but where?
"y/n!"
they both turned to see tas and his group of friends bolting towards them with large grins on their faces. nikola blinked before whipping his head back to her. he’s only been in thailand for four days at this point, but has been introduced to most of tas’s family and friends except for one…
y/n l/n: his best friend.
nikola watched silently with wide eyes and jaw dropped slightly as tas launched himself at her. she let out a small scream as he hugged her tightly while the rest of their friends crowded around her.
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ever since that day, y/n became a constant in his broken world with him even realising it.
“nikola?”
even hearing her say his name took his breath away.
"are you alright?" she asked softly making him look down at her
"yeah" he said quickly
"it's just... a lot" y/n nodded before doing something nikola has only imagined about since they met
she grabbed his hand ever so gently and intertwined their fingers together.
"we go slow" she said before pulling him through the large horde of people
nikola isn't use to going slow. everything around him is always moving at a rapid pace, even his love, but y/n's not like that. her pace is steady and unhurried, like she has all the time in the world.
it felt as if nikola was stuck in a rapid current that kept pushing him everywhere at a speed he was forced to adapt to in order not to drown, but being with y/n made him look at things from a new angel.
in a world that forces him to move fast, she became someone that reassured him that it's okay to lift off the gas a bit.
"y/n" he spoke, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd
he called for her again, but she still didn't turn.
nikola took a deep breath before stopping. y/n turned to him, clear confusion evident on her face.
"y/n"
"yes?"
it went quiet between them.
nikola knew the feelings he held for y/n were similar yet so different from the ones he had for his ex. it was not only love, but a deep fondness that made him feel warm. nikola never thought that being in thailand would change anything and secretly detested tas for forcing him to come, but it did.
not only did nikola find himself changing as a person, but also as a significant other.
"will you stay with me?"
he's said anything remotely similar, but it was the only thing he thought of asking y/n because her staying with him is all he ever needed.
"even after this is over and i have to leave. will you still be by my side?" he clarified when y/n didn't say anything and he hoped that despite the language barrier between them, she could understand what he meant
nikola watched y/n's expression carefully, his heart beating rapidly as he waited, but instead of words, she just smiled and squeezed his hand.
and that was all nikola needed.