"Even If I Can't See the End" — featuring EJ × Nicholas, quiet longing, emotional hesitation, and a confession that risks everything.
Soft angst, slow-burning tension, and a payoff wrapped in vulnerability.

Pairing: EJ × Nicholas
Trope: Best friends to maybe something more / Unspoken love
Vibe: Gentle ache, quiet bravery, soft hope

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"I like you. More than I should. More than just... like this. And I know that saying it might ruin things, but not saying it is starting to feel worse."
*****

GUESS WHO CONFESSED READERS

There were a hundred moments when EJ could have said something.

When Nicholas laughed too hard at one of his deadpan jokes.
When their shoulders brushed during late-night rehearsals.
When Nicholas fell asleep on his arm after a schedule, head tucked into his hoodie like it belonged there.

But EJ never did.

He told himself it was because the timing was bad.
Or because they were too close.
Or because Nicholas didn't feel that way — couldn't possibly.

It was easier to pretend. To file the warmth under "friendship" and keep it there, even when it hurt a little more every time.

Nicholas, on the other hand, was sunshine bottled and shaken — unpredictable but comforting.

He joked too much when he was nervous.
Always insisted on sharing snacks.
And somehow made every room brighter without realizing it.

EJ was the opposite.
Quiet. Anchored. Always watching.

Nicholas once called him "the group's gravity."

EJ smiled at that for an entire week.

The shift was slow. Barely noticeable.

A longer stare. A laugh that lingered.

When Nicholas leaned into him during a movie night and didn't move.
When EJ brushed his fingers through Nicholas's hair while he slept — just once — and promised himself never again.

It wasn't friendship anymore.

At least, not on his end.

One night, after a long shoot, they ended up in the dorm kitchen alone.

Nicholas was rummaging through the fridge for midnight snacks.

EJ leaned on the counter, arms crossed, trying not to watch the way Nicholas's hoodie slipped off one shoulder.

"You ever think about how weird this all is?" Nicholas asked suddenly, shutting the fridge.

"What?"

"This. Us. Living like this. Performing. Sharing everything."

EJ nodded. "All the time."

Nicholas popped open a bottle of iced tea and passed it to him. "Think we'll still be doing this in ten years?"

EJ took a sip. "I don't know. I hope so."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Nicholas leaned against the opposite counter, mirroring him.

The silence wasn't awkward. It rarely was with them.

Just... full.

EJ stared at the tea bottle. Then at Nicholas.

And something in his chest cracked.

He exhaled.

"Even if you don't feel the same," EJ said, voice low, steady, "I just had to say it."

Nicholas blinked.

EJ kept going, softly:

"I like you. More than I should. More than just... like this. And I know that saying it might ruin things, but not saying it is starting to feel worse."

The silence wasn't full anymore.

It was wide. Echoing.

Nicholas didn't respond right away.

He set the tea down. Walked over. Slow. Careful.

Then stopped right in front of EJ.

His voice was quiet.

"I didn't know if I was imagining it."

EJ swallowed. "You weren't."

"I thought... maybe you didn't want to risk it."

"I didn't," EJ admitted. "But I also didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what would've happened if I did."

Nicholas didn't smile.

Not yet.

But his gaze softened.

"I'm scared," EJ added, barely above a whisper. "Even if I can't see the end... I still wanted to try."

Nicholas let that settle.

Then — slowly — leaned in and rested his forehead against EJ's.

They stood like that for a long second. Breathing the same air.

Then Nicholas murmured, "I feel the same."

EJ froze.

Nicholas smiled.

"I was scared too," he said. "Still am. But you said it first. So now I don't have to be."

EJ's eyes closed, just for a moment, like he couldn't believe this was real.

When he opened them again, Nicholas was still there.

Still close.

Still choosing him.

Later that night, they sat side by side on EJ's bed, not touching but still tangled in something warm.

Nicholas broke the quiet. "So... what now?"

EJ glanced over. "I think we start slow. And honest."

Nicholas nodded. "Yeah. I like slow. And honest."

EJ chuckled. "You like chaos."

Nicholas grinned. "Only with most people. Not with you."

The next morning, Harua walked in on them sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, sharing a blanket and earbuds.

He stared. Squinted.

"...Did I miss something?"

EJ blinked. Nicholas casually passed him a juice box without a word.

Harua left in silence.

Nicholas whispered, "So... are we telling them?"

EJ smiled.

"Eventually."

The End.
(Because love doesn't always need a clear ending. Sometimes it just needs a beginning.)