𝓌𝑒 𝒻𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝒸𝓉𝑜𝒷𝑒𝓇 ; 𝓈𝒶𝓅𝓃𝑜𝒷𝓁𝒶𝒹𝑒

[ix.] ;; 𝓈𝑒𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇

it's the sixth of september - the first monday, which means labour day, which means they have absolutely nothing to do.

nick is so, so bored. he honestly should be working on a video to edit, another collaboration with george, clay, and darryl, but he doesn't feel like it - the only thing he really wants to do is hang out with dave, but the californian hasn't come out of his room, presumably preoccupied with something, and nick doesn't really want to bother him. he busies himself by continuing to watch avatar: the last airbender and eating a honeybun, curled up on the couch underneath his weighted comforter and the portable heater on beside him.

it's around an hour later when dave suddenly bursts out of his room, holding a bunch of nail varnish containers in his eyes, an excited glint in his tired eyes. "can i paint your nails?" he asks nick, and the grecian nods slowly, confused, but reveling in the beautiful smile that his agreement invokes. "i've never painted anyone's nails before and i just found all of my nail polish, and i wanna try it on you." dave explains, sitting down next to him on the couch, shifting so his entire body is facing nick's, bringing his legs up on the couch and folding them underneath him. he pulls nick's hands to rest on his thighs, and nick practically burns at the touch.

dave's thighs are surprisingly soft, yet firm under his denim jeans. is that- is that weird? to feel your roommate's thighs?

he thinks it's rather weird.

dave pulls out light blue and black, begins to paint nick's nails with gentle strokes, and he watches as each swipe of the brush leaves behind more colour in the form of liquid nail varnish. dave patterns it - black, blue, black, blue, black - and it's adorable, the way he bites his cheek whilst he concentrates on not getting paint anywhere other than nick's nails. the colours look nice, contrasting prettily against each other, and nick can't help but smile once dave is finished painting one hand and moves onto the other.

the taller finishes painting nick's nails, caps the blue and black nail varnish, tucks them away with a soft smile. "it looks cute," nick offers, "thank you so much, i really like it."

"will you do mine? after yours dries, of course." dave asks, holding out yellow and dark blue to nick, who takes them carefully and sets them in his own lap.

"of course i will!" he answers, and dave smiles, brushing his hair from his eyes. ever since nick told him not to cut it, back in july, he's been letting it grow out more, and now it frames his face prettily, hanging in his eyes if he doesn't sweep it behind his ears. it doesn't take long for the nail varnish on nick's fingers to dry, and he brushes a careful finger across the top of the paint to make sure it's completely dried before he picks up the yellow nail varnish, screwing open the cap and gently manoeuvres dave's hands into his lap, beginning to paint the taller's nails.

once he's finished, the pretty pattern of pastel yellow and dark blue lacquer now resting on dave's fingernails, he smiles and screws the cap back onto the nail varnish containers, looking up at the other. leans in, kisses nick's cheek with a small hum. "thank you." he murmurs, and nick smiles, turning and kissing the corner of the other's mouth.

"of course, i'd do just about anything for you." nick tells him, tucks dave's hair behind his ear, turns back to the television to hide the embarrassed flush on his face. he means what he said - he'd honestly do anything for dave, no matter what it is, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, if it brings that beatific smile back to his face, nick would do it.

dave leans his head on nick's shoulder, turns his attention to avatar: the last airbender, the episode they never finished almost over. he doesn't rewind it, doesn't ask nick to, simply just stays where he is, too comfortable to move. nick is warm, it soothes the throbbing in his head and thaws the coldness leaking into his bones, making him feel something akin to relief.