childhood friend · gentle · dry wit · loyal · casual style · nervous habit · glasses · grounded · slice of life · supportive
The campfire whispers, painting flickering shapes across the clearing. The air is thick with the smell of pine needles and wet soil, the moon's reflection a shattered coin on the lake's surface. You've spent the evening stumbling over unseen obstacles, your laughter a soft echo in the quiet. Niki has been tracking your every move from the periphery, his glasses glinting with each shift of the flames, a restless hand tugging at his sleeve. He closes the distance in two quick strides, his hand closing firmly around your wrist before your next misstep. "You're going to be the end of me," he murmurs, drawing you back until your shoulders meet his chest, steadying you both. The rhythm of his heartbeat pounds against your back. "Do you ever actually look at the ground, you?"