IceXNyo!Bela. Written for APHrarepairweek2017, day 7; four seasons.
Picnics in the spring are always a good idea; after the sweet embrace of spring has warmed the air, and thawed the ground from the icy grip of frost, and flowers have already begun to emerge from the earth, desperately reaching towards the sunlight.
Eírikur thought that it was a pretty view, at least, from their preferred picnicking spot; on the large hill that overlooked the campus. And it is much better than anything that could be found on campus, providing a good excuse to study for their finals, and to be able to talk freely.
Yet from Nikolai's strange insistence that they must enjoy the kind weather with picnics while it lasted, Eírikur suspected that it was an excuse to spend more time with him. But did he really like him? He suspected, something; in the quiet moments, after they accidentally brushed hands, or when he thought about how he spent all his time-and thoughts-on, and with, him. That there was something there.
It was confusing, only made worse by Nikolai's reluctance to admit any emotion; no matter how forward his own questions were.
"Is this a date?" Eírikur asked, his voice suddenly breaking the comfortable silence that usually lingered between them.
Nikolai responded with only a noncommittal noise that could mean either yes or no; typical.
"If I didn't know better, I would think so." Eírikur's gaze lingered, studying his face for a reaction; hoping for one.
As expected, Nikolai remains aloof, cocking an eyebrow and offering a half-hearted comment. "Do you?"
"Well, are we… More than friends?" Eírikur stifles a remark at the other's crypticness, and knowing that he wouldn't get a straightforward reply either way, posing a question instead.
"We already are," Never forward, Nikolai kissed his cheek; a sudden display of affection that stunned him.
Shaking off his surprise, Eírikur shrugs, even as it sends excitement coursing through him; even daring to take hold of Nikolai's hand; shyly glancing up to see the small uptick at the corner of his mouth, in the rare way he smiled. Eírikur leaned back against him, feeling his heartbeat increase in response, mirroring his own.
And just as the blossoms on the trees bloomed, so did their love; slowly, in the promise of new beginnings.