𝓌𝑒 𝒻𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝒸𝓉𝑜𝒷𝑒𝓇 ; 𝓈𝒶𝓅𝓃𝑜𝒷𝓁𝒶𝒹𝑒

[v.] ;; 𝓂𝒶𝓎

the first of may isn't really anything special. they wake up, dave waters the flowers while nick makes breakfast. dave is keenly aware of how domestic this all seems, but he doesn't care. it's welcome, to him at least, and as for nick, he doesn't seem to care. one thing dave notices about the shorter, though, is that he's recently become more touchy. not that he minds it, of course, he simply isn't used to it. he never got the chance to hug any friends, he hasn't seen his own family in a while (five years, five months, but who's counting? dave certainly isn't), nick is providing more physical contact for dave than he's ever gotten in maybe ten years.

he didn't realise he missed hugging people, didn't realise he missed holding hands or cuddling or sitting next to someone on the couch, didn't realise he's so, so utterly touch starved.

nick comes up behind him, sets his head on dave's shoulder, arms wrapping around his waist, and he leans into the touch ever so subtly. maybe there's a slight chance nick might reciprocate dave's new-found feelings for him, or maybe he's just touch starved, too. nick hums against his neck questioningly and he turns back, squinting at him. "whatcha thinkin' about?" nick asks him, and dave smiles.

"you." he simply says, turning back to the purple hibiscus flowers he's watering. nick makes a soft noise and digs his face back into dave's neck, obviously smiling. yes, there's a chance. "you done with breakfast?"

"mhm, figured you might want some company so i came here," dave nods, traces the hibiscus petal with his fingers, a soft smile on his face. "you sure do like flowers,"

"yep. probably one of my favourite things, besides minecraft and you." he mumbles, drops his hands down to the ones resting on his waist, "they're easy to manage and they look pretty. can you blame me?" nick turns a palm up, gently interlocks their fingers, and shakes his head.

"no, i can't," he replies softly, initating a weird swaying motion that dave goes along with, though he turns around to face nick, holding both of his hands in a gentle yet firm grip, smiling at him.

"didn't know you liked to dance." nick snorts, drops his head back onto dave's shoulder, shakes it.

"dunno if you can even call this dancing, we're just moving back and forth on the living room's floor." dave chuckles, dropping his hands from holding nick's to instead rest them on the shorter's hips. they're so close, they're so close, dave feels as if he can hardly breathe. he doesn't want to move back from this, doesn't want to leave nick's embrace, nick's arms feel like home and he doesn't want to leave.

so he doesn't. they languidly sway back and forth, not wanting to pull away from each other's assuaging embrace. dave doesn't even notice he's closed his eyes until nick reaches up, fingers brushing gently against his cheek, and he blinks them open to look softly into nick's own eyes. dave feels as if all the air has been sucked out of his lungs, nick's loving gaze making something warm spread through his chest.

they're so close. dave watches nick's eyes flick briefly down to his lips before the shorter pulls away, licking his lips and averting his gaze to the ground. "i should-"

"yeah." dave coughs, picking up the watering can he'd set down, "go ahead." his cheeks are flushed, he can feel it; he wants nick to stay, wants to go back into his embrace, but nick has left, back to the kitchen to reheat the food they let run cold. "fuck," dave murmurs to himself, rubbing his cheeks in frustration. he feels like crying again, but he doesn't, turns back to his hibiscus flowers and sighs, tracing the petal with his fingers just like nick's fingers traced his cheek just a few moments ago.

they eat in silence, watching whatever show is on the tv, though he doesn't pay much attention to it, trying not to stare at nick, who's pointedly avoiding looking at him. it isn't awkward, per say; he reckons nick just needs some space, so he gives it to him, locking himself in his room and busying himself with minecraft for the rest of the day.