𓏲 ✴ kisses over dinner ✷ ꣓
𓏲 sypnosis : a dinner with your best friend at a fancy restaurant in between a busy week to wind off and spend time with each other, results in you getting foggy from alcohol. she offers you to stay, and it ends in hidden feelings to unfold.
cw ✿ best friends to lovers trope, bear is mentioned, reader works at the record store with bear, sarah and ian. nikki is a writer, set before the events of obsession where the one wish willow never happens, implied internalised homophobia (?), not proofread
The week has been restless.
Similar as any week while working at a music store for hours on end 5 days a week, except this week had more to it. Restocking that didn't seem to end, costumers that wouldn't stop bragging about out of stock records, and two co workers who can't stop slacking off due to nonstop conversations, causing you to having to do more of the work given to you out of spite.
Your only favorite time of the week, however, is going home and having a conversation over the phone with your best friend, nikki. she'd tell you about her days trying to become a writer, which she was very passionate about. it made you very happy for her, you knew she'd be a remarkable writer.
"But anyways, " she stated. "we haven't seen each other in so long, work has been taking a toll on us, hasn't it? How about a date somewhere, we could go have dinner at that sushi restaurant you'd been swooning over for the past couple weeks." she suggested.
You'd caught her attention after fidgetting with your nail immediatly. "I wasn't swooning! The food just looked, too good.." you giggled, a playful hum coming from her. "But I'd love to, nikki, friday tomorrow?"
"Friday tomorrow it is." she'd reply back. "well, I have to look at a few emails, it's getting late isn't it?" You checked the wall clock. oh wow, time really passed by whenever you're having fun conversations with her.
"Yea, it is. I should go too, time really passes by when we're on call together."
"Really does. well then, goodnight!" She'd chime.
"Goodnight, nik." You'd reply with a smile.
You got up and immediatly thought about how she'd called it a "date", something in you wished it would be classified as an actual, romantic date. but you don't ever thing you'd get that lucky, well then, you were excited nothingless.
the restaurant was lively.
A bunch of chatter from people ordering and conversations at tables, clinking of kitchenware, and the subtle waft of something yummy. however none of this phased you. You sat fidgetting with your necklace, occasionally adjusting the strap on your shoulder as you waited for her to arrive. just as you were going to pick up your phone out of boredom, you spotted a familiar person at the corner of your eye.
She was beautiful. She wasn't wearing anything extravagant, however she was just as pretty as you know her. You didn't realize she'd already taken a seat across you before you could comprehend.
"Sorry if you waited too long, "she'd smile as she adjusted her purse, "traffic's been trouble, as the usual."
You'd smile at her and tell her no worries, before you waved at a waitress to come get your orders. Over the time at dinner, you talked more freely than you usually do together on the phone, occasionally glancing at her hair, her lashes, then drifting to her collarbone peeking from behind the top's end.
You'd always have found her stunning, and feelings you never thought you'd feel would start forming the more your friendship went, starting to believe this may not be casual. The end of every phone call, every hangout with the others, and every talk would leave you to your thoughts being consumed by her.
You'd even have thought of letting out your feelings to her in a quiet space, far from everyone. You beat yourself too much over it sometimes, but you just couldn't think about doing it. You were so afraid of ruining what you now had, the closeness of your friendship, and bear had seemed, which you figured out from being together, to have a liking in her, you were most probably a goner either way.
"I'm not feeling it to call a cab today, traffic's probably still going on, it would take an hour," She'd complain as you were brought back to the present by nikki's change in subject. you internally cursed yourself for not focusing on what she was ranting about beforehand. "could you drop me home? I could drive if you'd like."
how could you say no? you'd forever love her presence around. "perfectly fine with me, nik, I could even drive."
nikki doesn't respond to you as she finds a waiter's attention to get the bill, a few minutes later and you're out the restaurant.
nikki rounds up to the car's driver door before you speak, "nikki, you don't have to—" you attempt to interject what she's about to do.
"I'd love to drive, just let me." without replying back, letting her do what she offered, you enter the car with her.
the ride home was just casual talk, a mix between the restaurant's food, details she'd just remembered on a drama she told you about, and just work feelings. the ride went quiet on the last minutes home, indicating the tiredness that stretched out on you both.
"well, here we are." nikki says mostly to herself as she rounds up to the sideway, hitting the brakes and she sighs. upon feeling the quietness, she turns around to see you asleep.
she can't hide the subtle smile that comes through her, before shaking your shoulder slightly with a, "hey, sleepyhead, I'm home." before you slowly become conscious.
"I don't think with your state right now you could drive home, you could stay at mine? I'd love—"
"no nik, you've already drove us, I can go home, let me just switch seats," you mumble back tiredly before reaching for the door handle, opening, before you're stopped as her hand shoots out to your arm.
"please?" you'd see her eyebrows furrow in worry and half desperation, in your sleepy state, you couldn't bring yourself to once again reject, a part of yourself wanting to stay with her like she'd request (out of worry, as you'd thought).
"alright." you'd say in defeat as she smiled, before rounding up to your garage. your mind was still hazy from sleep as she took you inside, but you were too out of it to let go of the hand that was leading you to the door. maybe you had too much to drink.
time passed, maybe half an hour, and you were laying down on the living room couch. you were starting to get out of your foggy state and before you knew it, you got up after feeling a wave of boredom settle around you.
"better now?" you'd see nikki appear from behind the couch, a glass of water in her hand, she'd changed to pjs, which you were glad happened because you truly didn't want to see her uncomfy in her own house.
"Yes, thank you, nik. I don't know what I'd do without you."
It was left unanswered as she smiled and sad with you down, there wasn't much to say now, as she'd probably have a change of clothes for you by the other room, and knowing her house all too well anyways.
You suddenly felt a pang of something within you. Was this it? Maybe you could—
But as always, the overwhelming thoughts came back. The possibilities it could go wrong, the chances, others, what if it was never meant to be—
But you look at her right now in awe, thinking what it would be like to be with her all the time, to love her all the time, to wake up to see her, and sometimes, it keeps you up at night, for what if you could try? You'd never have the thoughts that swarm your brain ever answered if you didn't voice it out.
"Nikki?" You'd break the silence, you thought if maybe your voice sounded too small.
"Yup?" She'd turn your head to you, "Does your head still hurt? I could give you—" she was always so attentive to you, it made you want to kiss her every single time to shut her up.
"No, not that, I'm fine, there's just something I've been meaning to tell you."
suddenly the room felt a tad bit warmer, From your nervousness, you thought, and she was looking directly at you, brows turned slightly in confusion and patience.
"nikki, I— you're an amazing friend, I don't know if I could live without you by my side, we spend so much time together, talk to eachother so much, it makes me think about how much we mean to each other." you talked. you felt like you were saying too much, but nikki, ever the listener, sat there with a small smile at what you've been saying, however still listening.
"It makes me wonder if we could spend the rest of our lives together." You'd mumble out. Nikki didn't really seem to get it.
"We'll always be together, you'd always see me and we'll always be friends, I'm just concerned about what you're saying right now—"
"I love you, nikki. I want to soend the rest of my life being yours." You'd finally let out, no wraps around it, just the complete truth, that you love her.
the room stayed silent. you started fidgetting with your nail at some point as you immediately turned your sight down out of waiting for an answer.
You'd feel, then see a hand holding yours, and as you turned your head up, saw her, before she took her other hand to hold the side of your face. "Can I?"
Your heart started beating from your chest, as you mumbled a "mhm", you once again hated how small your voice sounded.
Before being able to even blink, she planted her lips against yours, the hand that was holding yours going up to hold the other side of your face, it took you a second or two before you leaned into the kiss. You don't know how long you stayed there for, but it didn't matter to you, you were right where you wanted to be.
Shes the first to let go for air, before you both fell into a fit of giggling, it was stupid really, but you were just filled with so many emotions. "I thought you'd think of me that way, to be honest, I did too, I guess it took longer for me to accept that before you did." she'd reply back to you.
And you'd smile back, and hold her face, before going back for another. you'd stay in this moment forever, your lips with hers, feeling her heartbeat against your own, and you'd think to how fortunate you were to have a perfect angel like her.
a/n : my first female character fic :) I took longer to write this than I thought, but I'm so glad I finally wrote a fic after so long. I love nikki so very much and just wanted to write something sweet w her ♡
