𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 - 𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢

8. self-serve waffle station

‧˚₊⋅ ୨୧ ⋅₊˚‧

      Warmth is all you felt as you finally awakened from your long slumber. The room was still dim due to the blackout curtains but the peak of light that shone through the corners was enough to stir you. Slowly, your eyes fluttered open and adjusted to your surroundings. You cover your mouth with your hand, quietly gasping at the sight in front of you. Just a few centimeters away lay a sleeping Niki. He slept soundly on his side, one hand under the pillow that support his head while the other grasped at the blanket you both shared. The sight had you blushing. There was something so different about seeing the boy not being his rowdy self and rather calm and quiet. It had you in a trance as you continued to stare at him.

Eye contact was something you lacked, unless the person you were conversing with was Wonie, so you never really got a good look at people as you talked to them. You always shifted your eyes away in an awkward manner after a few seconds in. But now, in this specific predicament, you were able to truly analyze his features, and while you're at it, the rest of him. He was pretty. You quickly shook your head. Why were you thinking such things? Stop that! You internally scolded yourself, yet you couldn't control your hand as you felt it lifting from your side and towards his face. With the lightest touch possible, you moved his messy hair out of his eyes. Your breath hitched as you took a closer look at his face. So pretty. Your face flushed, hands still at the side of the boy's temple, holding back the section of hair. So so pretty. You were unable to stop yourself as the same hand found its way to his cheek, cupping the warm skin. He was so warm compared to you.

You flinched as you realized the touch of your cold hand awakened him, evident in the way his long eyelashes began to flutter. But before you could pull away, his hand found its way on top of yours. You could die then and there as you watched the boy lean into your touch, his lips grazing your wrist. Your heart beat at an alarming rate, as your eyes quickly averted to his, half-lidded and already staring at you. You expected a shit-eating grin, but instead he was...calm? He closed his eyes, continuing to bask in the feeling of your cool touch. One that he didn't realized he craved so badly. "Good morning."

"Good morning Niki."

"You hungry?" Niki asked, physically stopping himself from groaning as you pulled your hand away to reach out for your phone. You checked the time. It was still quite early. "Mmm yeah. Are you?" The boy nodded as he sat up and stretched his limbs. He scratched his head, "Where should we eat?" You yawned as you thought about it. "Hmm well my check doesn't come until the end of the week, but I do have access to our university's dining hall." Niki gasped dramatically, "How??? I heard the food is like crazy good. Like Michelin type." You chuckled at his reaction.

"It's good to have a friend who's president of student council. Surprisingly, it gets you a lot of perks."

Niki gasped again, extra dramatic. "Nepotism."

"That doesn't even make sense Niki."

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The walk to university was quite refreshing. It was cold enough to wear a hoodie, but the sun still shone bright, the rays adding an extra layer of warmth. You watched in amusement as Niki kicked a small rock continuously for most of the walk and giggled as one particular kick resulted in the small object flying into oncoming traffic. Both of you weren't quite yet in the mood to strike up a conversation, it was still early in the morning and you were both still recovering from sleepiness. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable. You enjoyed his presence and you surely hoped he felt the same. You looked up at the boy and he looked down at you, giving you a small smile.

Once you entered the door of the dining hall your nose filled with all kinds of delicious smells. Savory bacon. Sweet syrup. Your eyes widened as you grabbed at Niki's sleeve, pulling on it continuously. By now, the boy was starting to grow accustomed to your mannerisms. He tilted his head down and bent his knees slightly in order to be able to hear your hushed voice. "Niki look there's a waffle-making station over there", you whispered in awe as you pointed to the left of the large corridor. His reaction matched yours, except he was more vocal about it. "Oh my god y/n. I think we're in heaven! We have to get waffles!" He suddenly covered his mouth, realizing he was getting stared at by passerby's in annoyance. He was always faced with those kinds of stares due to his loud demeanor. Hell, even his friends scolded him sometimes because of it. Many thought he was arrogant and snarky when in reality he was just a loud person. He looked down at you ready to apologize, but to his surprise, you just looked up at him with a smile on your face. No judgement. No embarrassment. He suddenly realized that since befriending you, you never once looked at him that way. Never once showed signs of embarrassment. It caught the boy off guard, rendering him speechless. You grabbed his hand, leading him towards the station. "I think I'll put Nutella and strawberries on mine. What about you?" Pure joy filled Niki's heart. He felt like a kid again. When he was a kid, no one judged him for being the way he was. No one would judge him for being excited about waffles. You made him feel like a kid again.

"I think I'll have the same."

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Getting situated in a booth, you both didn't waste any time digging in, complimenting the food between each bite. "Ouu this would be perfect with some hot coffee. Let's go get some", Niki exclaimed, standing up. You took a quick bite before following behind the boy to retrieve the bitter beverage. Suddenly, you stopped and looked around. "What's wrong?" Shaking your head, you continued to walk with the boy. "Hmm it's nothing."

But you still felt it. The feeling that you were being watched.