NIKOAJ || hearts and stars

Act right.

I turned to Niko, his eyes already upon me "we're actually going to try to win, you're always a dickhead in these challenges but not today, prove you're worth being here." I scowled at him, the sides of his mouth turned upwards into a smile "if we weren't filming, I would kiss you right now" he laughed he seemed so happy to be here. "Yeah, please don't" I scoffed, I looked away, but Niko watched me until my sour face turned into a smile, "you're such an ass" he laughed, his beautiful laugh "shut up, we need to get the ingredients, hurry up, do you know what we're doing?" I asked, switching back to the challenge "yeah, my 'girlfriend' taught me how to bake" he rolled his eyes, walking off to get the needed ingredients while I got the equipment.

We returned at the same time and got to work.

Within minutes our station had become a mess. Scattered flour all over the counter and the floor, spilled milk around our bowl and somehow on my apron. Chunkz broke out into laugher as he looked at our station while I mixed whatever concoction was in the bowl, Niko stole it off me "you mix so slow" he groaned, looking down at me as he mixed the bowl probably even slower than I did. "Whatever?" I scoffed, Chunkz got Fillys attention as they watched us argue and the flour splattering out of the bowl as Niko mixed more aggressively. I started laughing at him as well, getting the attention of Sharky and Kenny.

Niko put the bowl down and stuck his hand into the packet of flour.

Oh shit.

His hand sped towards me, opening up in mid-air, flour spilled all over my face, it mixed into my hair, and it made an obvious splatter of marks across my apron.

"Bitch!" I laughed, I grabbed a handful of flour and dropped it above his head, I watch it snow all over his body, his face completely white. Niko grabbed another handful, and I ran for cover, I ran over to Sharky and hid behind him, Niko chased me around while our friends cheered us on until I tripped, I looked up and I couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter as he stood above me, he leaned down and spread the flour around in my hair before helping me up. I smiled, trying to fight my own laughter, he smiled at me, his eyes flickered over every spot where flour sat.

Just then, the woman at the front yelled out. "Twenty-five minutes left!" Me and Niko shot each other a shocked look, running back to our station.

"Quick, sugar, sugar" I passed it to him, "woah, calm down, don't get too excited" he joked, a smug smile on his face "not funny, Niko" I groaned, nudging him slightly, he chuckled.

We shoved the cupcakes in the oven, and he put his hands up for a high five, our hands connected in the middle and his fingers intertwined with mine. "You're a mess." He laughed, his hands still holding mine. "Wonder whose fault that is?" I scoffed "mhm" he nodded, flour falling out of his hair with every movement. "Well, you can't speak, look at you" I smiled, running my hands through his hair. "I'll go fix myself up then, want to come?" he asked, I shrugged, taking his hand and following him to the bathroom.

He looked in the mirror and laughed, looking at the damage the flour had done. I watched him dust the flour off his face and he tried to get it out of his hair, he glanced over at me with a smile, the smile that made my heart warm, the smile I never got tired of.

I took my phone out and took a picture in the mirror, Niko's hand on the bathroom sink in the corner. "You're so beautiful" he told me, as he splashed his face with water, washing the rest of the power off his face. I stared at him cluelessly, he looked at me in the mirror, my clueless face made his lips turn up into a smile. "Thank you." I whispered nervously; how could I fuck him so confidently but the second he called me beautiful my knees almost gave out? I hid my face in my hands as he laughed. "Oh, and" he began "my 'girlfriend', the pregnant one?" he looked up at me through the mirror, I nodded "her due date is your birthday" he chuckled, I smiled and nodded "I'm going to go see her when she's in hospital, in case her husband isn't home in time, you know, so someone's there for her" he told me.