if falling is worth it (please catch me when i do)

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/28086168.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: ENHYPEN (Band)
Relationship: Kim Sunoo/Nishimura Riki | Ni-ki
Character: Park Jongseong | Jay, Shim Jaeyoon | Jake, Kim Sunoo, Nishimura
Riki | Ni-ki, Park Sunghoon
Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Ni-ki has a pre-existing crush on Sunoo, Fluff, Mutual
Pining, Yearning, Alternate Take on my other AU
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2020-12-15 Words: 6,020 Chapters: 3/3

if falling is worth it (please catch me when i do)

by orphan_account

Summary

It all started in their local coffee shop when the barista mixed up Sunoo and Ni-ki's orders.
They both got the wrong cup of coffee, so they were both forced to negotiate with each
other to get their right orders.

After that incident, Ni-ki seems to keep making his way to Sunoo's side. Sunoo liked to
think that Ni-ki was a gift from the universe to him. A friend. Someone to be beside him if
he'd do the same. So of course, he did. Now, it's been a little over a while since they've met
and become friends, but he can't see him in the same light anymore.

And so his italicized oh moment comes.

Fuck. He's fallen in love with his best friend.

Sunoo is fucked.

Notes

This is an alternate take on my unreleased (also Sunki) fic called Little Valentine, which
means this would have happened in place if Little Valentine didn't happen and vice versa.

Twitter account
 my dear

It all started in the café Sunoo was currently passing by as he headed to school. Back then, he got
the wrong order and had to force himself to talk to the boy in the corner of the café that seemed to
have been glaring daggers at him.

Sunoo vividly remembers chuckling nervously, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he walked up
to the boy who was judging him with all the fibers in him.

Don't get him wrong, he loved attention to a healthy extent.

Just…

Not in this way, at least.

"Uh, hey?" He awkwardly waves with his free hand, to which the blonde answered back by sharply
turning towards his direction. If it weren't for his remaining spec of bravery within him, he would
have dropped the cup and spilled coffee all over the floor by now.

The blonde raises a brow, to which Sunoo feels himself tense up, "What is it?" He sternly asks.
The fuck was he trying on him? To scare him away? Does this guy not want his correct order?

"I think," Sunoo visibly and instinctively gulps, "You have my coffee order." Awkwardly trudging
over in front of Ni-ki, he holds out the cup of coffee in his hand. "Hm. I know," The other nods
acknowledging what Sunoo had just told him.

As if offended, Sunoo raises both of his brows as his mouth gapes in disbelief. "Then you could
have given it to me?.." And then an awkward round of suffocating silence wraps around them both.

"I'm not that kind of person." He tells him, "And I already knew you'd give it to me."

"Don't act like you haven't been periodically glancing at me, then the cup of coffee back and forth,
Seonu." Ni-ki snorts. "It's Sunoo but- You know what, nevermind."

Sunoo sets Ni-ki's cup down on the table in front of him. "There's your correct order." He tells him.
Ni-ki nods, giving him his cup. "And there's yours," He says.

Sunoo smiles as he takes a sip from his cup (with the correct order). "Have a good day ahead then,
Ni-ki," Sunoo smiles as he waves goodbye to the blonde, who seemed to be subtly waving right
back at him.

Sunoo exits the café, continuing back into his regular schedule.

How did they become friends after that?

It was simple.

Every single day, they both meet at the same school, the same classes, and the same street going
home. It was like—

"You're following me!" Sunoo exclaims as he turns on his heel to point accusingly at Ni-ki who
had been trailing behind him the entirety of his walk home, "Stop following me you creep,"

"I'm no creep, what the hell are you on?"

"Then stop following me everywhere!"

"Uh..."

"What do you have to say for yourself then?"

"I literally live on the same street as you."

Sunoo flushes red in embarrassment and automatically stuffs his face into his hands to try and hide.
"Whatever," He mumbles, his voice muffled against his hand.

So awkward silence envelopes them both (again) afterwards as they both walk the same street
tonight and the other nights that follow,

And that's where it starts.

Sunoo simply chuckles at the mere memory of their first meetings. They were very mean and harsh
to each other, but he just guesses that it was their little way of getting used to each other.

Looking back ahead of him, he continues to walk to their school campus (where Ni-ki would
definitely be waiting for him).

"Ni-ki-yah! C'mere," Sunoo exclaims, throwing his hands into the air so Ni-ki could run into them
and hug him tightly like he usually does whenever they see each other. "Hello, Sunoo hyung," Ni-
ki grinned brightly, looking up at Sunoo.

"Well, tomorrow is Valentines." Sunoo tells Niki, "Are you doing anything for anyone?" He asks
in curiosity. "Hmm, I'm going to give my crush a bouquet of flowers." He said, practically beaming
at the thought.

"I'm sure that your crush will love it." Sunoo encouraged him, while Ni-ki nodded. "Mhm! I
know." To respond, he gave him a confident smile. "You can always ask me if you need some
extra help, okay?" Sunoo tells the younger to which the younger smiles.

"I actually need a bit of help, Sunoo hyung." Ni-ki grins, ushering Sunoo to come and sit beside
him. "You can help me pick out some flowers for them!"

"I don't know which flowers to get," He says. "So please help me." Ni-ki requests. The latter
couldn't help but give in, laughing. "Okay, fine."

"Do you have any idea of what flower you think they'd like?" Sunoo says, scrolling on Ni-ki's
phone to look at all the possible options there were for flowers, trying to help the younger as much
as possible. Ni-ki only shakes his head. "No,"

"I've known them for a while now, but we never really..." Ni-ki trails off, "Talked about things like
those."

"Don't worry about it then, I'm sure they'd like it, either way, right?"

(Damn right, Ni-ki hoped.)

"Um. Right." Ni-ki laughs softly, sending a soft smile towards Sunoo's way. "Have you found a
few flowers that you think they'd like?" Ni-ki asks. Sunoo laughs. "What? Aren't you the one whos
supposed to be choosing?" He asks.
"Yeah but.." Ni-ki's words trail off again. (What is even on this kid's mind?, Sunoo mentally asks
himself, raising a brow at the younger one who was now in deep thought beside him.)

"But?"

"Nevermind it, Sunoo hyung." Ni-ki smiles.

"Okay."

(Sunoo purses his lips into a thin straight line, turning back to the phone in his hand. This kid,
really...)

"I think your crush would really like some white roses and marigolds," Sunoo suggests. Ni-ki turns
to him and nods, attentively listening. "I mean... At least it's what I'd like to receive if someone
gave me a bouquet of flowers." He laughs.

(His crush would definitely like them, then. No doubt.)

"Really?" Ni-ki asks him again one more time to confirm. "I'll go and grab some of those then." He
smiles. "Thank you so much for helping me out, Sunoo hyung!" Ni-ki waves, walking away and to
his next class.

There it is again, that foreign feeling of emptiness that occurred to him whenever the blonde wasn't
around, which had always confused him.

"Where even is that kid?" Sunoo asks no one in particular, looking down at his wristwatch that
currently displayed the exact time of day.

7:30 PM.

It was already dark out and Ni-ki still wasn't home. Not gonna lie, Sunoo was starting to grow
pretty worried already. So he sets out to his balcony and waits for a mere sign of the younger
coming home.

After a while of waiting, Sunoo finally sees the familiar figure enter the house next door with a
bouquet of white roses and marigolds, and Sunoo swears he could feel a wave of relief wash over
him at the sight.

Ni-ki peeks outside at his balcony and smiles at Sunoo as soon as he spots him on the other
balcony. "Sunoo hyung!" Ni-ki grins, leaning against the balcony's railing to try and grab ahold of
Sunoo's hand.

Once he does, he starts playing with Sunoo's fingers. (Which Sunoo has always found an endearing
habit of his.) "Why do you still have the flowers with you, Ni-ki-yah?" Sunoo asks.

"Ah... I'll give them the flowers soon," He smiles. "So don't worry Sunoo hyung. I'll make sure to
give it to them somehow." Ni-ki laughs.

"Did you do anything for Valentines today?" Ni-ki asks. "Hm, no. I don't think so." Sunoo shakes
his head. "Oh really?" Ni-ki hums.

"Speaking of, can I see the flowers?" Sunoo asks in curiosity, Ni-ki immediately nodding and
heading back inside for a while to go and grab the bouquet. "Look," Ni-ki tells him, gently
reaching his hand out and giving Sunoo the bouquet.

"They're so beautiful." Sunoo smiles, smelling the flowers. "I hope you get to give them to your
crush soon," He says.

"I already have."

"What do you mean?"

"I like you, Sunoo hyung. That's what I mean."

It was as if Sunoo's heart dropped to his stomach while his eyes went wide. His friend what now?
Liked... Him? "You... You what, Ni-ki?" Sunoo asks again, stumbling and stammering over his
own words as Ni-ki simply laughed with cherry red cheeks.

"I like you, Kim Sunwoo." Ni-ki repeats, but this time with his full name to get a reaction out of
Sunoo, and hell, it worked. Sunoo's face flushes red. A deep, bright red.

"But I'm not telling you this to get an answer out of you," Ni-ki reassures him. "I just wanted to get
it off my chest." He hums with a small smile.

"You don't have to have it all figured out right now." He adds. "You can figure it out along the
way." (Sunoo was thankful for such a person to be by his side, too.)

Sunoo smiles, nodding. "Alright then," He then looks at the flowers one more time, then at Ni-ki.
"Thank you for the flowers, Ni-ki. I'll take care of them well." He tells him reassuringly.

"Good night, Ni-ki-yah."

"Good night, Sunoo hyung."

 my best

"Ni-ki-yah!" Sunoo exclaims as the said boy runs towards him. "Good morning, Sunoo hyung!"
He smiles. "Todays your birthday, how are you feeling?" Ni-ki asks.

"I'm feeling great so far, Ni-ki-yah," Sunoo tells him, "Today is a very special day." He hums.

Not gonna lie, he was definitely expecting Ni-ki to give him something for his birthday.

"Have you received anything today yet?" Ni-ki asks. Sunoo taps his chin, recalling the few gifts he
has received so far.

"I've received a hoodie from Sunghoon,"

So he recalls the moment Sunghoon gave him his gift.

"Happy birthday, Sunoo." Sunghoon smiles, giving him a box. "You love these, so I think you'll like
my gift a lot." He says, chuckling quite a bit.

Sunoo excitedly throws the lid off the box and comes to view with a neatly folded light pink hoodie.
"Oh my god," He gasps. "I love it so much." He grins.

"Thank you so much, Sunghoon hyung!"

"And I received some money from Jay,"

So he recalls the moment Jay gives him the envelope that, at first, gave him a huge heart attack
upon seeing its content.

"Hey, I didn't really know what you would like, so..." Jay says, pulling out an envelope. "Here."

"Is this a love letter?" Sunoo jokes as Jay's face scrunches up in either disgust or cringe, "Ew no.
Ni-ki would have knocked me out by now so I wouldn't even be here giving you that envelope." Jay
laughs.

"You're right," Sunoo nods as he opens the envelope. "Money? Really?" Sunoo raises a brow at
Jay.

(Oh and it's a big amount too... Sunoo mumbles softly to himself.)

"As I said, I didn't know what you'd like."

"We've been classmates for five years yet you still don't know what I'd like?" Sunoo jokingly states,
using his free hand to lay it on top of his own chest, "I take full offense."

"I'm kidding," Sunoo laughs. "Thanks so much, Jay."

"And I received a nicer vase for the flowers from Jake."

So he recalls the moment Jake called him over to their classroom with a huge box waiting for him
on his desk.

"Sunoo! Come over here!" Jake calls him. "I have something for you!" He says. "What is it?"
"Your birthday present, of course."

"Oh really? What is it?"

"Go open it if you want to find out." Jake snickered. Sunoo opens the tall box and meets eye to eye
with a vase. "A vase...?" Sunoo mumbles, taking it out of the box while making sure to handle it
carefully— he didn't want it to break.

"Yup," Jake nods. "Ni-ki told me about how you only used a tall glass to keep the flowers in." He
shares, to which Sunoo chuckled. "That kid really..."

The vase had intricate designs on it. Birds, butterflies, flowers. Pretty, in Sunoo's eyes.

"Thanks so much, Jake," Sunoo says, putting the vase back in the box slowly. "I'll use it well."

"Yeah, those were all the gifts I've gotten so far," Sunoo tells him. "It's kind of weird thinking that
it's only happened a few hours ago." He laughs. "It all happened so fast."

"Soo... No one has given you a cake yet?" Ni-ki raises a brow. Sunoo responds by shaking his
head. "Hm... Really?" "Yup."

"Then come over to my house, let's try and bake a cake for your birthday!" Ni-ki suggests with a
small giggle (that Sunoo remembered and played over and over again in his head like a broken
record).

"Sounds fun, so... Why not?" Sunoo shrugs as he smiles with an approving nod. "Really?" Ni-ki
turns to him with pleading eyes, but he knows what the elder would respond beforehand.

"Mhm, so go head to your classes and meet me after, okay?" Sunoo sends him off, which the
blonde among of them both waves at him and runs down the hall and out of his vision.

So here they both were, in Ni-ki's kitchen, reading the instructions of a cake mix box that they had
already emptied out and previously poured the contents into a bowl.

"Preheat... The oven... To 350 degrees." Sunoo reads out as Ni-ki heads over to the oven. He then
turns the dial to 350, then rechecks, again and again, to make sure.

"Uh... Okay, now for the mixing part."

"Oh no."

"Ni-ki!" Sunoo exclaims in offense, "Don't be so negative. This might turn out better than we
expect." Sunoo tells him, lightly and playfully hitting Ni-ki's arm. "Okay, if you say so." Ni-ki
laughs with a small shrug, shaking his head in dismay.

"Mix the water into the cake mix, then- Ni-ki what the fuck."

Sunoo looks up from the cake mix box to look at Ni-ki who had just spilled water all over the
kitchen counter. "Hurry, go grab another cup of water." Sunoo hurriedly instructs him.

So Ni-ki hurriedly scoots over to the water dispenser and does as he's told, then goes back to the
counter to pour the water into the bowl. "Then pour the oil in."

"How much?"
"One third?" Sunoo asks in a confused tone. "What but why are you asking..." Ni-ki looks at him,
mouth agape in a joking manner.

"Stop teasing me, Ni-ki." Sunoo laughs, gently hitting Ni-ki's arm. "So is it one third?" Ni-ki asks.

"It's one half," Sunoo tells him.

"Just like how I consider you my other half." Ni-ki smiles, looking at Sunoo then looking down at
the bowl to concentrate on pouring the oil in. "Stop being so cheesy." Sunoo laughs, slowly
slipping into silence.

Its silent, but his heart skipped a beat at the remark. The bright red color spreads from his ears,
then to his face, then to his neck.

But he loved the remark. So much. Oh, so very much.

"Sunoo hyung! Stop staring at me and tell me the next instructions," Ni-ki exclaims, pouting with a
playful, yet slightly angry expression at the elder. "Alright, alright."

"Grab the electric mixer then beat that," He points at the contents in the bowl, "For two minutes at
medium speed." He says, putting the box down on the counter.

"Okayy," Ni-ki mumbles, opening a cabinet below the counter and grabbing the electric mixer. He
puts the mixer to medium speed. But the problem is, it wasn't working.

"Why is it not working?"

"That's because you didn't plug the mixer in, you idiot."

"Oh okay," Ni-ki sets the mixer in the bowl and strolls over to the plug and plugs in the mixer but
oh fuck the mixer is currently on and no one is handling it.

"NI-KI," Sunoo screeches, grabbing the mixer by the handle and turning it off using the button.
"You could have turned it off first before plugging it in." Sunoo laughs. "We almost made a mess
in here." He adds.

"But we did not," Ni-ki clicks his tongue, making a finger gun motion at Sunoo who simply shook
his head disapprovingly. "Come on, come pour it in the pan," Sunoo requests the younger, to which
he immediately obeys.

So Sunoo watches Ni-ki pour in the cake batter, praying that he wouldn't spill any of it or anything.
To which, he lets out a sigh of relief when he does.

Afterward, he puts the pan in the oven and lets it bake.

Until the cake is halfway to being fully baked and they had only just now realized they didn't
grease the pan.

They didn't grease the damn pan, the (probably) most important step in the process.

"Hey Sunoo hyung," Ni-ki blinks, tapping Sunoo's shoulder. "I think," He mumbles, "We forgot to
do a step..."

"What'd we forget to do?"

"We forgot to grease the pan," Ni-ki says as he watches all the color in Sunoo's face drain. They
forgot to what... Now?

"Like... The cake won't come off anymore after it's done baking." Ni-ki adds to which Sunoo
becomes even paler than before, if possible. "We screwed up the cake and only realized halfway
through the cake being fully baked?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay, we can eat it from the pan. We don't have to take it out." Sunoo suggests, to which Ni-ki
seems to disagree with a small head shake, "No, we can cut it out from the pan." Ni-ki suggests.

"No, we'll just frost the top of the cake and eat it from there." Sunoo retorts. Ni-ki would have
responded by now, but he decided to stay silent instead and just accept the idea. It wasn't too bad of
an idea, after all.

Yet another round of silence wraps around them. However, it was a much more comfortable
atmosphere and vibe that none of them paid much mind to.

"Ni-ki?" Sunoo calls.

"Yeah?"

"Can you teach me how to dance?"

Ni-ki contemplates for a while. "What kind of dancing? Hip hop?" He asks. Sunoo shakes his head
gently in response. "No, I meant slow dancing."

Slow dancing.

He wanted to learn how to slow dance so he could dance. With him. Ni-ki's heart skips a beat, but
he tries to ignore it as he raises a brow at Sunoo.

"Are you sure?" Ni-ki asks him, getting up from his seat. "I'm sure," Sunoo answers, following Ni-
ki's actions of getting up from his sitting position.

Ni-ki silently smiles to himself as he grabs his phone and puts on a song.

Second Life by Seventeen is currently heard in the background as the room slowly grows darker,
nothing but the moonlight seeping through the windows becoming their dim source of light.

"Are you ready?" Ni-ki asks him. There's a hint of hesitation in the air before Sunoo nods shortly
after in response. Ni-ki takes in a small huff of air silently, smiling at the elder compassionately.

And so he takes Sunoo within his arms and pulls him closer to him, their bodies almost pressing
against each other. Sunoo, on the other hand, was already getting lost in the other's eyes.

He hesitantly wraps an arm around Sunoo's waist, not saying anything. "Sunoo hyung, give me
your hand," Ni-ki tells him, so Sunoo does. He gives him his hand. Sunoo's hand is warm, nimble,
and of course, soft.

Ni-ki would hold his hand forever if he could. He gently and slowly intertwined their fingers
together.

As their fingers intertwined, suddenly everything made sense. When they both fell step by step into
the slow rhythm of the song, letting their actions speak for themselves. All the scenery behind them
both slowly dissolving.
It was them both. Sunoo and Ni-ki, alone.

How the moonlight shone against his eyes, how the obvious yet light tint of pink started to spread
across both of their cheeks, a small, shy smile threatening to play itself onto Sunoo's lips. Their
steps become as light as clouds, getting lost in the song playing for them.

(Love is breathing, getting lost in his eyes, then forgetting how to breathe.)

He liked this, being with Ni-ki. He liked the feeling of butterflies raging in his stomach at the
younger's touch. What more could he ask for when he had Ni-ki by his side?

He would eventually make eye contact with Ni-ki every now and then, but end up breaking it and
looking away due to how flustered he'd become as time passed. Suddenly, time is slow. Everything
is slow. Slow, being tranquil.

The way their breaths threateningly mingled with every passing second, the way flowers seemed to
— as if— bloom within the deepest crooks of their hearts, the way Ni-ki's stare always lingered on
him.

Ni-ki slowly twirls Sunoo around as he dips him down, leaning forward closer to him. Their faces
are inches apart, the tension growing calmer and more comfortable as the song reached its' climax.

Ni-ki stares at the beauty in front of him, marveling at him to the best of his extent and for as long
as he could. He would drown in those eyes of his if he could.

Sunoo's breathing becomes shallow, as his heart suddenly feels heavy in his chest. His heart is
racing, faster than any speed he could have ever imagined.

Locking eyes, they were unable to keep away from each other. Oh, how they wished to stay like
this forever but couldn't.

Because this is all that Sunoo wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ni-ki is about to lean into Sunoo further until the annoying sound of the oven beeping into their
ears interrupts them both. Ni-ki sighs in annoyance as he pulls Sunoo back up to his feet.

"Sorry, Sunoo hyung, I'll get the oven." He tells him, slowly letting go of Sunoo's hand. Sunoo is
hurt, but he doesn't show the younger. "It's okay." Sunoo chuckles, his expression dropping shortly
after the younger turns away from him to get the oven.

Sunoo softly sighs and sits back down on the couch, putting a pause to the song that used to be
playing in the background. He was slowly turning sulky and angry at the oven, but of course, he
wouldn't tell that to the younger.

And yet, another day passes with unresolved feelings lingering around his lips.
 my love

Today was the day of Ni-ki's birthday, and his parents thought it would be a good idea to throw a
party and invite the entire school.

Well, too bad, cause Ni-ki didn't wanna go and attend his own party.

"Don't be so much of a bummer, Ni-ki." Jungwon tells his friend, who was having second thoughts
about attending this 'party' that turned out to be his, thanks to his parents. "You don't have to do
anything at the party, you can just sit around and do nothing." He reassures him.

"I don't know about this one, Jungwon hyung."

Jungwon sighs, raising a brow and crossing his arms at a dissatisfied Ni-ki. An idea pops up into
his head as he lets out a sinister chuckle, Ni-ki immediately regretting everything he had done to
get into this position.

Jungwon pulls out his phone from his pocket and dials a number that seemed all too familiar to
him. He knew exactly whose number that was. Oh no.

"Sunoo?"

"Hey Jungwon! Need anything?"

"Are you headed to the party tonight?"

"Yeah… Sunghoon kind of forced me to go with him."

Ni-ki swears that he hears a nervous and uncomfortable laugh echo through the speaker from the
other line, so he motions for Jungwon to hand him over the phone so he could talk to Sunoo.

"Sunoo hyung?"

"Ni-ki!"

"You're headed to the party right?"

"Well yes but-"

"Great, I'm going too!"

A moment of silence is shared between the two before Sunoo hears the deep breath of air that Ni-ki
had just taken in.

"Do you want to… Meet up?"

Ni-ki couldn't see it, but he knew how wide Sunoo smiled at the mention of being able to meet up
with him.

"I'm glad you asked,"

"Because I'd love to."

-
So here Ni-ki is, pushing through the crowd as he desperately tries to find Sunoo amongst the sea
of people all over the first floor of this 2 story house he didn't want to be in any longer.

The mere sound of music thumping off the large speakers and the number of things he's seen that
he wasn't supposed to was more than enough to irk him into the temptation of running somewhere
else, far from here.

Ni-ki sighs with a small groan as he sits himself down onto the couch, further away from the action
and heart of the party. Maybe if he waited there, he'd find Sunoo sometime later.

Eventually, he grows tired and drained, so he closes his eyes to rest for a bit. Until he feels a light
tap on his shoulder.

"Ni-ki-yah, it's me." Sunoo greets him with a small smile. Ni-ki's face visibly brightens at the sight
of the very familiar male in front of him.

There it goes again. The sensation he felt whenever he was around Sunoo. He loved this feeling so
much beyond words could even describe. He loved Sunoo, the reason behind this feeling.

The reason behind every single one of his smiles. The reason all love songs suddenly made (so
much) sense to him.

Finally, Sunoo.

His Sunoo hyung.

"Sunoo hyung…" He looks up and smiles, falling into a small pause of silence to admire the older's
features. His features that he loved so dearly.

The artificial lighting in this room didn't do justice to his features, unlike how golden sunlight and
glimmering moonshine highlighted his features and made him look even prettier.

It didn't matter if it was day nor night, he was always so pretty in his eyes.

The loud noise music that used to occupy Ni-ki's ears fades to static as it eventually but slowly
turns to void with every second he stared at Sunoo in admiration and endearment. He couldn't pay a
single mind to the world behind him with Sunoo around.

He was stillness in a world full of chaos. And Ni-ki could feel himself fall even harder than he
already has if it were even possible.

"Sunoo hyung," Ni-ki calls, gently holding his hand. Sunoo immediately hums in question as Ni-ki
scratches his nape with his free hand in embarrassment, gluing his eyes to his feet. He then looks
up with a toothy smile,

"Do you want to run away with me?"

Rushed footsteps was all that filled the two's ears as they continued to run away from the party
they both despised so much.

The night wind was ripping in their ears while they ran on the moonlit road ahead of them. They
both then lessened their pace as they eventually come to a full stop under a dim lamppost. "I can't
believe-" Ni-ki laughs, panting, "You actually agreed to run away with me."
"Nishimura Riki, you really are something else, aren't you?" Sunoo asks him jokingly, catching his
breath. "First, you ask me to help you pick out some flowers for your 'crush' that turned out to be
me."

"Second, you offered me to bake with you just so you could bake me something for my birthday
and spend time with me, but we ended up screwing up the cake."

"And third, this…" Sunoo breathlessly lets out a hearty laugh, "You ask me to run away with you."
He finishes, slowly being able to catch his breath.

"But you did, didn't you, Sunoo hyung?" Ni-ki smiles, finally standing up properly as he catches
his breath. "I did," Sunoo nods, removing his coat as he folds it quickly and rests it in his arms.

"I like being around you so much, Sunoo hyung." The younger of them both admits heartfully. He
shyly smiles, looking at Sunoo. "You make me feel so safe. I feel so at ease when I'm with you."

"We've only been friends for what, a year?" Ni-ki asks himself, "But it's like we've known each
other for eternity. Why do you think so, Sunoo hyung?"

Sunoo knits his brows together, thinking of an answer.

Honestly, he didn't know either.

Why do they act like they've known each other for eternity?

It would be wild to think that maybe, just maybe, they had known each other in a past life and are
reuniting in this, the current one.

"Do you think we've known each other in our past life, Ni-ki?" Sunoo asks as Ni-ki taps his chin,
slightly ruffling his hair then running a hand through it.

"Maybe, maybe not." He answers. "But I'd like the first option better." He adds with a small smile.

A brief moment of silence wraps around the two. But this time, it's nowhere near awkward nor
uncomfortable. They were both at ease. At peace. At home.

Home.

They were both home, with each other.

"I like this," Sunoo softly says, looking up and watching the stars that seemed to be twinkling and
greeting him. "I like being with you and just..." He smiles, his words trailing off.

Sunoo looks at the road ahead of them, then at Ni-ki. "I feel at home with you."

"Home?" Ni-ki asks. Sunoo nods in response, hugging his coat tighter than he did before. "Home."

"You know, feeling safe and at peace with someone."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm,"

"Then that means you're my home too, Sunoo hyung."

Sunoo smiles at the sentiment, and of course at Ni-ki. They both took so, so much pride in being
the reason the other was smiling. As they walked to the beach, nothing was uttered nor said.

They both knew what their hearts wanted without the need for words. They let the comforting
silence talk for them both.

Sunoo and Ni-ki had been friends for a little over a while now, but it was the first time he had ran
away from such a place, and to somewhere entirely different. With Ni-ki, at least.

So he sits on the sand silently, letting the sand seep in between his toes and fingers. While Sunoo is
making himself comfortable, Ni-ki pulls out his phone and taps on his screen a bit, and goes to his
Music app.

Now, the faint tune of Second Life by Seventeen can be heard in the background as they watch the
moon melt into the sky and into the sea, while the waves crash onto the rocks on the border
between land and sea.

It's peaceful, the eventual repeat of the line '나에게 두 번째 삶이 온다면' while they sat beside
each other wordlessly yet comfortably.

It's grainy, the feel and flow of sand between his toes and fingers while he periodically played with
it.

It's cold, both their hands and the way the breeze of the winter season prepped up against their
skin.

But it's warm, his cherry red cheeks as he absent-mindedly thought of the younger, taking in every
single feature of his possible.

"I like going to the beach a lot too," Ni-ki says as Sunoo looks at him attentively, wanting to listen
to the younger. "It helps me ground myself when I feel like I'm losing myself."

(But Sunoo thinks that simply, surely, silently listening and being around him is what grounds him
most.)

"The waves are really calming, aren't they?" Ni-ki asks Sunoo as he nods in response. "Very." He
smiles.

Comforting silence is then shared between them both. Sunoo sighs in content, turning towards Ni-
ki's to look at him, then rests his chin on his hand, admiring the other's features.

"I can see you staring at me, by the way." Ni-ki laughed, Sunoo immediately digging his face into
his palms in embarrassment to try and hide. "No, I wasn't," He argues, swatting Ni-ki's hand away
from him.

"Not so slick, now are we, Sunoo hyung?" He could faintly hear in the background with a breathy
laugh following after. It was the typical Ni-ki he loved so much, teasing him every opportunity he
gets.

But he catches himself looking back up at Ni-ki again. The only difference is that Ni-ki is staring
back.

Ni-ki then breaks eye contact with a shy, albeit confused smile. "Why are you staring at me like
that?" He asks him softly, being sure to not interrupt the elder who seemed to be in very deep
thought at the moment.
"You're always staring at me like that." Ni-ki laughs.

Sunoo hums, "I think," He clicks his tongue, finally breaking into a soft, tender smile, "I finally
understand you." He tells him rather confidently.

Understand? Understand what? Sunoo asks himself. Not in his mind, but in his heart.

The way the younger would always watch and copy him as a sign of endearment?

Perhaps, the way the younger would frequently give him gifts or sentimental items as a love
language of his?

Or maybe the way the younger would occasionally ask him subtly whenever he gets the chance,
Sunoo hyung, in a soft whisper, Did you eat already?

Or is it the way the younger obviously loved him countless reasons more than there are even
raindrops and beyond all the stars you could even count?

And so, his italicized oh moment comes.

He understands him for all those reasons and many more to come. He understands him. He finally
understands him.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. He understands him. And it's because he's fallen for him. He's
fallen in love with him.

Him, not being Ni-ki, but Nishimura Riki. Him.

Sunoo then smiles at the realization, then turns to Ni-ki, "Ni-ki?" He softly calls. "Hm?" He hums,
slightly tilting his head at the elder.

"Falling..." Sunoo mumbles, looking off into the sea's horizon which the moon gloriously grazed
over.

"Is falling for someone easy?"

Sunoo immediately frowns at his own question as he watches Ni-ki's brows furrow into one. Was it
too bizarre of a question? Or is it too soon? Or maybe is it a bit too much for him—

"I think that falling is easy when you find the right person to fall for." Ni-ki answers honestly, his
eyes more loving than ever, "You see, Sunoo hyung," He hums, drawing random shapes on the
sand.

(The latter simply watches silently him in endearment. It was one of his little habits that Sunoo
picked up on quite quickly, the way he'd draw random shapes if he were concentrated on
something.)

Ni-ki periodically looks up from the sand to look at Sunoo and send him a soft, small smile that
Sunoo loved oh, so, very much. "You need to get hurt, you need to trust, and you need to be
sincere."

"You have to hurt before you can learn to love." He says. "As much as I hate to admit it, You've
hurt me in the past just as many times as you've learned to love me again."

"You also have to trust and be sincere, it's how things really get through, you know? It's long, but-"
Ni-ki mumbles, looking up at Sunoo whose eyes weren't on him anymore, but on the far moon that
was their only source of faint light on the beach. He falls silent as he slowly sighs in content, a
small smile playing on his lips shortly afterward.

"Ni-ki, can you answer another question for me?"

"What is it?"

"If I tell you I'll fall, will you catch me when I do?"

Sunoo stares at Ni-ki whose lips tugged up into an even wider smile than it was before. "Is that
even a question?" He chuckled, moving a strand of Sunoo's hair out of his face.

Ni-ki gently holds Sunoo's hand in his. "I'd catch you over and over again. No matter how long it
takes, or how many times I'd even have to."

"Really?"

"And I'll start now. We don't have to have everything figured out right now. We can figure it out on
our way, together."

(After all, he searched a thousand and hundred forevers just to be with him, for him and only him.)

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