The Exchange Student - Cedric Diggory⁴

➣ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝟓 "𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩"

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"Nico, Nico, Nico," the voice insisted. It was such a lovely voice, even if it was tinged in foul shades of desperation. But his eyes remained pressed closed, he wasn't even aware of how much effort he made in doing so.

His breathing was erratic, coming in sharp inhales but unable to actually settle on his lungs, and his hands were gripping and squeezing his knees rather harshly, his nails trying to find something to ground him.

He kept shaking his head, left and right, sharp moves, but he wasn't really sure of what he was trying to convey. The whole world felt like it had lost its course over its own axis.

'It's fake. What I saw is fake. They're alive and fine. They're breathing and safe,' he kept trying to think that, but every thought that was meant to be reassuring turned into a hurricane of dismay and agitation.

The coldness of the wall against his back was probably the only thing preventing him from dissolving into thin air.

Two big and warm hands grabbed his—still gripping to his knees for dear life—, removing them, and preventing him from harming himself. When his hands fell limp to his sides, the warm ones cupped his soaked cheeks, lovingly forcing his face from his knees. The tender thumbs trying to clean out his tears, prompted him to open his eyes, looking right into the most exquisite pools of honey. Just this time, they were hued by the awful shadow of worry.

"Are you with me?" Cedric finally asked, as calm and soft as always. Nicolás nodded, not trusting his voice. "I need you to speak for me," Cedric insisted. And Nicolás would be damned if he let him down.

"Yes," he croaked.

"That's good," Cedric whispered. "Can you tell me five things you can hear?" he asked, the words coming slow, allowing them to pierce Nicolás' fogged mind, one by one, and his hands kept the warmth on his cheeks.

Nicolás nodded, looking around erratically; he started taking deep but still short breaths. "You," he began. Cedric nodded, smiling at him in encouragement. "The... floor... the wall... that... door... the ceiling," he finished, taking in big gulps of air.

"Perfect, great," Cedric said, smiling. He rubbed Nicolás' cheeks with his thumbs. "Can you tell me four things you can hear?"

"You — your voice... the wind..." someone opened a door down the aisle. "The door... someone... someone's coming..."

"It's okay, it's okay, Darling," Cedric tried to reassure him. The steps seemed to grow closer before they stopped, but Cedric's honeyed eyes never stopped sweetening him. "Can you tell me three things you can touch?"

Nicolás nodded. "You... the floor... the wall," his breathing was a little less labored, and his thoughts, previously in the biggest traffic accident known to humankind, were finally starting to circulate in order.

"That's perfect, Darling, you're doing great," said Cedric, his pearly smile not faltering for a second. "Can you smell anything?" he asked. Nicolás shook his head. "Okay, that's okay. How about this? he said, moving his hands for a moment, allowing the coldness of the morning to hit Nicolás' face.

Cedric searched for something in his robes, before looking back at Nicolás. "Do you trust me?" he asked, and Nicolás didn't need a single second before nodding. With a smile, Cedric brought his hand to Nicolás' lips, pressing something inside.

"What does it taste like?" Cedric asked.

The sweetness exploded in his mouth. After a numbing experience, his taste buds flourished in the taste of chocolate. And the flavor brought him back to his childhood, to sitting on the couch, pressed against the welcoming warmth of his father's body, which always seemed to be overly warm and overly comfortable, and so welcoming.