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“Okay, so before we start this, can you please just not gloat about it? At all?” Nico muttered. He cannot believe that he got a F in math. Math. M A T H. He was good at math, great even. There was nobody as good at it like him. Well, there was one person. And that person was Levi. Just like him, Levi had perfect grades. In everything. Well, except PE. But for that Nico wasn’t that good at art class. Their GPA’s were the exact same ever since they became relevant and they had this low-key rivalry going on where they didn’t really talk to the other one, but glances were exchanged when they got their test results back.Levi frowned, then sighed. “Are you serious – I wouldn’t gloat about something like that. I’m not you,” he replied, a little pissed now, but trying to not give it away with his face.Regret flashed in front of Nico’s eyes. “I uh –Sorry. But I wouldn’t either.” Levi shrugged blankly before pulling out the math book, opening the section the test was about and looked at Nico’s confused face.“What is it? What don’t you understand?” He asked more neutral as he skimmed through the page.“Nothing. There’s nothing that I don’t understand. It all makes sense. I don’t get how I could mess up this bad,” Nico mumbled as he shook his head and frowned.“Hmm, maybe you understand it, but can’t make it work? How about we try an example. What about… number 11?” Levi suggested to which Nico just nodded as he got out his book and a pen.Watching Nico think about approaching the problem, and the concentration on his face while writing down the numbers and letters, was something very special. Levi had always admired him, but when he dived into a problem like that, forgetting everything around him, solely focused on the paper in front of him, he looked really beautiful. His brow was a furrowed, he’s squinting a little bit and his lips were silently moving as he’s scribbling onto the paper while pressing keys on his calculator.The cutest part about watching Nico solve a problem was that little accomplished smile that would spread across his lips when he found the solution.However, when Levi looked at the result, he frowned. “It should be something between 330 and 367. Your calculation path is flawless. This doesn’t make any –“ His eyes widened. Could it be that…?“Did you lend this to anyone?” He asked as he reached over, taking the calculator to check the settings.“Huh? Uh, yeah to my sister. She forgot hers and I gave it to her. Why?” Nico asked confused. What was he doing?“Ha!” Levi exclaimed when he found it. Handing back the calculator, he shook his head in amusement. “You are an actual dumbass, Nico Kim,” he chuckled as he watched Nico change the setting.“Yeah? Well, and you are –“ He stopped. Levi was right. He was a dumbass. It’s the number one rule of lending your calculator to anyone: Always check the setting when getting it back.“Hmm? What am I?” Levi teased with a big grin on his face.Nico liked that grin. He didn’t see him like that very often. It was cute. He was cute. Very cute to be honest. But that’s nothing new, he had kinda always found him cute. With those big glasses and unruly hair and those cardigans that he always wore on top of his graphic shirts. His clothing style was… weird. But it was endearing. It was only now that he noticed his brown eyes with that hint of green in them. Well, when else could he have noticed them? They never talked. Or even sat next to each other. Like, ever.They were beautiful. Just like him.“You’re very cute,” he whispered. It kinda just slipped out, but it was true and he didn’t regret saying it.“I uh – Thank you?” Levi blushed. And he blushed hard. Nobody besides his mom or rest of the family has ever called him cute past the age of 10.Nico just grinned. God, how did he become even cuter? Chuckling, he shoved the pen and calculator into his backpack. Levi thought that he might wanted to leave, but after closing the backpack, Nico turned back to face him, now just staring into Levi’s eyes again.“You know, you defended me once last year,” Levi said after a while. “You probably don’t remember, but –““I do remember. Trevor tried to shove you into the locker. At least I think it was Trevor,” Nico tried to remember. That guy was a scumbag. He was glad that he had left school when the new year had started.“Yeah, Trevor. He uh – I don’t know why he hated me. But he did. And you were there to uh – I guess to save me. And I never got to say thank you. So, uhm. Thank you.” He looked up again and gave him a small, but grateful smile.“Don’t thank me for that. I was just trying to be a decent human,” Nico replied quietly. He remembered that day like it was just yesterday.After training, he and his teammates went to get changed when they heard two voices in the locker room. One sounded small, it was barely a whimper, the other one was loud and aggressive, and it sounded like one of them was being shoved against the lockers. With a frown, Nico followed the sound until he found them. One guy of his English class, Trevor, was trying to shove someone else that Nico couldn’t get a glimpse of, into one the lockers in front of them.Just seeing that made Nico’s blood boil and he was ready to jump in, but when finally recognized that mob of hair paired with those clothes, he knew exactly that it had to be Levi. And that’s when all he saw was red and he pulled back Trevor by the neck of his shirt to yell at him for being a scumbag and to stop tormenting their classmate.“You know, he used to bully me for almost two years, but when you told him to fuck off, he never even looked at me again. So yes. I do thank you for that,” Levi insisted.Nico wanted to say something, but he didn’t. There wasn’t anything that he could say so he just nodded.Another moment of silence followed, but this time it didn’t feel as heavy and awkward as it did before. Levi put the rest of his stuff into his bag and when he turned back to Nico, he had a smirk on his lips.“So, what’s it like?” He suddenly asked, his grin widening when he saw the confusion on Nico’s face.“What’s what like?”“Being Nico Kim. What’s it like being a hot genius slash jock, openly gay and still be so popular? How do you do that?” Levi asked in awe.Nico grinned. “I’m hot, huh?”Levi’s eyes widened. “I-I-I mean objectively, y-yeah. You’re hot,” he stuttered. Could his brain just for once not take a vacation in moments like these?“And you’re… really pretty,” Nico said with a wink. Oh, he already loved seeing him being nervous like that way too much.Levi’s mouth gaped open for a moment in shock. No, this wasn’t happening. Nico Kim didn’t just tell him that he was pretty. He! He must be dreaming. He always looked like a mess. There’s no way he said pretty. Maybe he said shitty?“I uh – what now?”“You heard me Levi,” Nico grinned. He liked saying Levi’s name. It was a really beautiful name. He liked the sound of it. He liked saying it. Maybe he needed to talk to him more often outside of school. Oh, he definitely needed to.“Y-you,” he cleared his throat, hoping that his voice stabilizes again. “You always call me Levi. Not Schmitt. Or Glasses.” Oh, the Glasses incident.Levi’s old frames used to slip down his nose very easily. So one day in biology class while they were cutting up fish to look at their insides, his glasses fell right into the fish guts. His whole class had laughed at him as he left to get to the bathroom to clean them. And ever since he was called Glasses by everyone. Well, except by his teachers and Nico.“I never liked that name. It’s mean,” Nico said as he shook his head a little. “Also, your name is so pretty and I like saying it,” he added with a smirk.Levi just stared at him with big eyes for a moment before he remembered how to breathe again.“So, what is Nico Kim’s big secret then? You can’t be all that perfect?” He asked, trying to get his mind off of what Nico had just said.“Can’t I?”“Nuh-uh.” Levi shook his head.“Hmm, so say there would be something. Something so secret that I never told anyone, not even my siblings. Why would I tell you?” Nico asked curiously.“Why wouldn’t you? We barely know each other. Don’t you have anything you wanted to tell someone, but just couldn’t, because everyone is so close to you?” Levi countered.Nico thought about it. He wasn’t wrong. There might be one recurring thought that he didn’t talk about with anybody. It was just too embarrassing. “Hm. Maybe. But why would I tell you then?”“Because I’m just that weird D&D nerd. Whatever it is, even if I shared it, which I won’t, nobody would believe me anyways. So what do you have to lose?” Levi gave him encouraging smile when he knew that Nico was actually thinking about it. It wasn’t like he wanted Nico to tell him some big bad shocking thing that he could one day use against him. He just wanted to talk a little more and understand him. Who was Nico Kim?After a while, Nico took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak. “I’m tired,” he eventually confessed.Levi cocked his head to the side and frowned. “What?”“I’m tired. Of everything. School, the football team, just everything. It is so much all the time. I’m tired and exhausted and so goddamn lonely. I know it sounds dumb, because I do have friends and a great family with three siblings and the occasional hook-up at a party, but that’s just not –“ He sighed.“I want to be in love. And kiss him and cuddle with him and just feel that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach that I already feel whenever I see him,” he dreamed.“That you already feel? Sounds like you’re already in love with someone,” Levi stated quietly. Of course he was. Why wouldn’t he?“I am, I mean, I guess I do have a crush,” he confirmed, looking down at his hands and blushing a bit. He looked cute when he was blushing.Levi could feel his heart sink a little when hearing that. He might be a liiittle bit in love with the school’s most beloved football player, but then again, who wasn’t? However, it wasn’t just in the ‘oh he’s so hot I wanna be with him’ way.Levi had always admired his passion and kindness. Sure, he could be a cocky dick sometimes, but overall, he was pretty nice and when he smiled it was like the sun just came out.“Then ask him out,” Levi croaked.Nico gave him a tired smile. “He’s not gay. Or at least didn’t come out yet.” He stared at Levi for a little bit too long until he realized what he was doing and cleared his throat.“I don’t know, it doesn’t matter. It’s your turn now,” he quickly changed the subject.“My turn?” Levi asked a little caught off guard. What would he have to tell him? There was nothing. Well. There was one thing, but should he really –“Just tell me. My lips are seal –““I’m gay,” Levi shot out.Nico’s eyes widened. “You’re –““I’m gay. And I haven’t told anyone about it. Hell, I didn’t even say it out loud before, because I was afraid that it’ll make it real. And I wasn’t ready to – I guess I wasn’t ready to be gay yet,” he confessed quietly.“You’re gay,” Nico repeated, blinking like he just learned that a talking cat exists.“Yeah. I’m gay,” Levi replied smiling.“No, I mean. You’re gay.”Levi frowned confused. “Uhh –““Go out with me.”“What? Nico I –““Please. Go out with me. On a date.” His eyes were practically sparkling from excitement.“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Levi muttered and looked away. God, he wanted to say yes to this so bad, but Nico had just told him about his crush on that other guy and he didn’t want to be a consolation price.“B-but why?” Nico then ask, the pain in voice audible.“Because you just told me about that great guy you’re having a crush on and I don’t wanna be a second choice because you feel lonely,” Levi explained as he played with the hem of his shirt.“What? What do you – Oh.” Oh. Nico’s eyes widened as the realization dawned upon him. “Ohhhhhh. No, you don’t understand –““Of course I understand. You have a crush and can’t have them so you want the, I guess, next best thing that’s available –““No, you dumbass –“ He grabbed Levi’s shoulders, chuckling now and grinning widely.“Did you just call me –““It’s you, Levi!” He exclaimed. Levi stared at him like he just grew another head.“What?”“It’s you. I’m – You’re the one I like,” he finally said.Levi’s eyes widened in shock and he had to look up to check if he wasn’t just making fun of him. But to his surprise there was no dirty grin on his lips and somehow Levi knew that he was being serious.“I – I’m the…”“Yeah. Yeah, you are Levi,” Nico whispered softly as he gently placed two fingers under the other boy’s chin and carefully pulled him closer, giving him the chance to move away if he didn’t want any of this. Fortunately, he didn’t and instead grinned a little the closer he came to Nico’s lips.He giggled happily right before their lips touched and Nico just melted.