( 02 ) SHE NIHACHU ✘
NIKI NIHACHU x 2ND POV READER

( pessimism, swearing )

THERE'S NO POINT WATERING A DEAD FLOWER.

YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE in soulmates. You don't think you ever had, to be honest.

And as you kicked away an empty can, the metallic clang as it hit the concrete sidewalk filling your ears, you remembered why.

The world was in shambles. It always had been. In shambles, you mean. Times like these, like as your eyes followed the empty, metal container rolling down the wet pavement, or when your black shoes-once again-crushed a crumpled plastic bag under their soles, you felt as if all was useless.

There's no point watering a dead flower. The best phrase to describe the futile attempts made by scientists to help Earth's pitiful state. There was no going back now. There never really was, to be honest.

Eyes searching for the familiar doorstep of a familiar white house, you clutched the umbrella closer to your body in an attempt to dry, despite the hem of your cuffed pant legs (it was another attempt at keeping yourself not soaked) and the light colored bag you carried on your back being rather damp already.

When you finally picked out its dark frame, an oddity compared to the line of peach duplicates around it, the corners of your lips tilted up into a small smile.

You hurried across the street, desperate to get inside. The sound of rain pounding against the sopping wet concrete seemed to get louder as you got closer to the dark colored doorframe. As soon as you reached the front steps, you rapped your knuckles against the wooden door, a few droplets of water landing on your fingers.

Despite repeatedly shifting your weight in anticipation (left, right, left, right...), as well as the storm above you, you managed to hear past the downpour. Quick footsteps making their way to the door, slowly getting louder, helped widen your grin. The door swung open.

"I'm so sorry!" Niki greeted you with apologies, her dark eyes shining with concern at your soaked state. She moved to the side to let you in, and you stepped happily into the dry home, shooting her a small, grateful smile. "I didn't realise it was gonna rain today! If I knew then I wouldn't have asked you to come over!"

You let out a laugh, giggling at her mother-hen-like nature.

"Niki, it's fine," you said, smiling. "A little rain never hurt anybody."

But still she frowned at your (admittedly, rather disheveled and) wet state, closing the door behind her.

"Are you cold?" she asked, hand tugging absentmindedly at the loose threads of her peach, knitted sweater. "I can turn up the heater if you'd like."

You shrugged. "Kinda. I mean," nodding at the door and gesturing to yourself, you arched your brow, "I did just get out of the rain, Niki."

"Yes, I know that," she gave you a look, before sighing. "Come on, let's get to the living room already. It's really cold in here-the air from outside is contaminating my toasty apartment. It's ruining the vibe."

You snorted. "I mean, you're not wrong."

Niki shot you a grin before nodding at the umbrella clutched in your hand, "Put that in the rack please. I'll go grab some food. You up for some popcorn?"

"Ooh, yeah. Do you still have the cheese flavour?"

"Yup! I'll go heat some up."

And with those words, she turned around and walked to the kitchen, her jet black hair trailing behind her. You shook off your hands in an attempt to get the water off, rubbing them on your pants, before closing your umbrella and leaving it to dry on the rack with its friends. At least, you hoped they were friends. Would umbrellas be friends? Would they be more sensitive to personal space?

How you come up with these situations, you had absolutely no fucking clue.

Anyways, back to Niki.

Niki had always been one of your closest friends. You'd known each other since you were little-a side effect of having parents in the same friend group. She'd always invite you over once a week to hang out. Maybe you would binge something on Netflix together, maybe you'd try and bake something new (and fail. You were horrible at new recipes. Fortunately enough, Niki wasn't, and always managed to save them). Or maybe you'd just sit in a comfortable silence, working separately. Either way, her presence seemed to make everything better. Less. . . boring. These visits were one of the only things you enjoyed these days. Especially with the Rona going on right now.

Ew.

You'd also never admit it aloud, but the way Niki's eyes twinkled, filling with happiness after you told her a joke made you feel some type of way. Her sweet, soft laughter that lingered permanently at the back of your mind was part of your precious 'memory box.' Niki was just so Niki, and that was one of the things you'd loved about her.

Shrugging off the heavy coat you wore around your shoulders-a rather desperate measure you had taken in your many attempts to stay dry-you hung it on its usual spot on her coat rack. You reached down to your feet and slipped off the black shoes, placing them on beside the door, then revealed the white socks you had put on that afternoon in another sad attempt to stay warm to the world. Thankfully, they weren't soaked.

Niki's soft voice called out, distracting you from your thoughts, "Hey, the food's warming up right now, do you want to watch anything while we wait for it to finish?"

"Sure!"

After shaking your head and running your fingers through your rather messy hair, you shifted your shoulders slightly so your bag wouldn't slip off, and walked over to the kitchen.

The peach colour surrounding you, tinting the walls with its pleasant dye, as well as the dark wooden panelling beneath your sock-covered-feet, had became sort of a comfort to you over the past year. It was a sign of-dare you say it-home. You were home, truly home here.

Your eyes took in your surroundings, letting yourself breathe it all in, a habit you had developed over years of visiting her.

Speak of Niki, actually, there she stood, by the marble countertops, slipping the popcorn bag into the microwave. Hearing your footsteps, she spun around and looked to the TV.

"Do you wanna pick a movie while we wait? This'll probably take a while."

"Sure."

Making your way over to the living room, you brushed your hands on the flowers that were embroidered on the couch-honestly it's ridiculous how comfortable it is-cushions, you turned around and surrendered yourself to gravity, landing on the couch with an oof. Niki had always told you she thought the couch's patterns looked ridiculous-and dare she say, ugly-but you'd liked it, which meant she had to keep it.

A few seconds pass of you just laying there, eyes closed and breathing rather steadily, before you felt the couch shift, Niki's weight causing it to tilt in her favor. Your eyes fluttered open and darted towards where you thought her face would be, and there she was, smiling down at you.

"Hi."

"Hi," you echoed back at her. You sat up and leaned back into the couch, fingers habitually running over the flowers again. "What are we gonna watch?"

Niki shrugged, tucking back her blonde bangs behind her ears. "Up to you. Last time I picked Lion King."

She reached over to the small basket of gadgets laying on the small coffee table between the tv and the couch, and handed you the tv remote. The quick brush of your fingers made your ears go red. Again. This seemed to happen every time you visited. At this rate she'd already know you had a crush on her.

You quickly pulled back your hand, ignoring the confused look Niki sent your way, and started browsing through Netflix.

"D'you wanna rewatch Moana?" You said, the cover of the movie catching your eye. She nodded.

"Sure, why not."

( time skip ! )

You let out a sigh of relied and studied your reflection the bathroom mirror.

You hadn't been able to pinpoint when exactly it had started, but a few months after you had started the visits, you had begun to feel butterflies around Niki. There was something about her that made your heart race, that made it so whenever she looked at you with those comforting eyes, and smiled that beautiful smile, your breath would hitch. Every time you stayed over at her place, every time she fell asleep, her arms crossed on her chest, her legs sprawled across the couch, her head falling on your shoulder in her drowsiness, you felt the almost uncontrollable urge to run your fingers through the soft strands, or to brush your lips against her forehead.

The fact was, you liked Niki. A lot. Like, more than a friend.

You sighed once again, running your hands down your face.

If that wasn't obvious enough already.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

- yeah i didn't know where to go with this hh its lowkey kinda crappy but yk thats what happens when u force urself.

- i mean hopefully i'll come back to this-and finish it-in the future though.

lea <3

EDITED 2 AS OF 5.3.21 ( previous 11.21.2020 )