Chapter Text
- CHARLIE -
Did… Nick Nelson just come out to him?
Charlie blinks awake as someone pats his shoulder to ask him to move out of the way, seen as he's blocking the door to the classroom.
He gets moving, walking inside and sitting down, dropping his stuff on the desk clumsily.
What the hell just happened?, His brain tries to catch up, wondering why Nick would reply with that. Was he trying to make a joke or… Subtly telling Charlie he's not straight? And if that was the case, why would he tell him that?
They're barely acquaintances. Not that Charlie wouldn't want to be his friend, but the boy never seemed too willing to make conversation or talk to him at all - and seemed to be on a fight or flight mode whenever they were near, making Charlie so nervous that he got scared of saying the wrong thing and exposing his embarrassing crush on the rugby captain who, he assumed, was straight and unattainable.
Well, maybe not so straight after all.
Is Nick expecting Charlie to ask him about that? Which, fair, he'd love to do because… Lots of questions.
But… How? And when?
Two days later, after some unsuccessful attempts to talk to Nick about anything besides the daily polite greeting, he is on one of the tables outside with Tao, telling him about his worry that Nick is coming down with something, because his cheeks have been so red in the past couple of days the boy was starting to worry about his classmate-friend-crush. Who was, by the way, supposed to arrive at any second now at the table along with Isaac, who had class with him and invited him to have lunch with them! Which wasn't making Charlie sweat, totally not. He was cool with it.
"I'm serious, I think he could be sick or something." Charlie repeats, but is barely heard over the loud laughter coming from Tao, who is quite literally crying. He dries a couple of tears from his cheeks and takes a deep breath before looking at Charlie with a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, a sickness that only manifests when he's next to you. It's called blushing." He states, taking a sip of his apple juice. "Rugby lad keeps staring at you when you're not paying attention."
"Yeah, right." Charlie quickly interrupts, and Tao rolls his eyes in amusement. He opens his mouth to reply, but notices Isaac moving towards their table, Nick walking next to him as they chat.
"Hey people!" Isaac greets, sitting down next to Tao, Nick plopping next to Charlie without a second thought. "What did I miss, why is Charlie blushing like that?" He asks, the boy's eyes widening at the direct question. Tao is quick to reply with an excuse before the curly boy can even process the question:
"Nothing, I was just telling him about how that boy who works at the cinema was definitely flirting with him on Saturday."
"He was not!" Charlie replies, both grateful for the change of subject and terrified of the path the conversation was taking.
"He definitely has a crush on you." Isaac says, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"And who doesn't?" He hears a low voice reply, almost in a whisper, so low he barely makes up the words.
"What?" He asks automatically, tilting his head to look at Nick, whose cheeks are burning red as he stares into his clasped hands, resting on the table.
"Nothing." The rugby boy replies, clearing his throat and looking up, starting to stand. “I just remembered I have to… Talk to the coach about something. I’ll see you later.” Quickly grabbing his stuff, Nick is out of their sight in a blink.
“Oh- kaaaay, and that wasn’t weird at all.” Tao comments with a huff, oblivious to the whispered comment Charlie heard and the chaos happening inside his head at the moment. To avoid any further comments, he shrugs and changes the subject, relieved that the boys don’t push it, even though he notices Isaac’s smirk from behind his book.
- Friday, 4pm -
Charlie
hello elle my belle
Elle 👑
hi charlie pie
hows life?
Charlie
yeah about that
i’m…
currently in an existential crisis?
Elle 👑
oh???
do tell
how can i be of assistance
is it boy crisis
Charlie
weeeeeeell….
Elle 👑
OH MY GOD IT ISSSSSS
i’ve been dreaming with this moment
yes tell me everything
Charlie
so
hypothetically
Elle 👑
hmmmm
Charlie
WHAT
Elle 👑
oh, nothing, nothing…
go on, dear
Charlie
as i was saying
👀👀
hypothetically…
if this “straight” boy i’ve been crushing on for ages and carefully avoiding
(to not be obvious about said crush and freak him out)
has subtly dropped a hint that he might NOT be so straight
Elle 👑
oooooooooooh
thats some hot tea
Charlie
we’re analyzing a hypothetical situation here, els
Elle 👑
yes of course
purely scientific
keep going
Charlie
but since then he hasn’t like… made a move?
and has been sort-of-avoiding-me?
so i’m starting to question if i even heard it right or if it’s just my wishful thinking making it up
Elle 👑
hmmmm kind of how you’ve been avoiding him too?
what a coincidence
hypothetically of course
Charlie
oh
RUDE
Elle 👑
sorry, i think you misspelled *right
Charlie
you’re not helping
Elle 👑
oop, my bad, sunshine
serious question now
when you noticed him avoiding you lately, what did you imagine happened to trigger it?
Charlie
that he found out about my crush and doesn’t like me back
Elle 👑
did you stop to think that he might’ve thought the same?
Charlie
yeeeeah, RIGHT
Elle 👑
i mean, you DID avoid him first
you said so yourself
Charlie
thats different
Elle 👑
yeah, how?
Charlie
…
Elle 👑
take your time, sweetness, i’ll wait
Charlie
you’re no fun
Elle 👑
you need to talk to him
Charlie
i can’t
Elle 👑
yes you can
ask about crushes or something
next time you’re alone with him
Charlie
oh god
Elle 👑
And for all that is holy do NOT do it over text messages
Charlie
WHY NOT
Elle 👑
because: overthinking and editing are possible
in person, his reaction could even tell you more than his words
Charlie
yeah i guess
Elle 👑
you can do it
Charlie
i’ll try
thank you, elle
Elle 👑
anytime, babes xx
If anyone accused Charlie of daydreaming while blankly staring at the energy drinks at the store, he would totally deny it. But he has been staring at them for way too long for it to be acceptable. It wasn't his fault that his brain took him back to that moment with Nick, and what he thought he heard the boy say. Yes, thought. Because he has been reliving the moment in his brain for so long he even started to question if it even happened in the first place.
With a loud dramatic sigh, he finally relents and opens the freezer door, grabbing one of the cans. He lets the door close with a loud thump and turns around, almost dropping his drink on the ground because holy shit Nick Nelson somehow just materialized in front of him.
"Rough morning?" The boy asks, a smirk appearing on his face. Biting his lower lip nervously, Charlie doesn't miss the way Nick's eyes immediately dart to his mouth.
"Yeah." He laughs nervously, shrugging. "You could say that."
Nick looks down, the tip of his ears slightly red from embarrassment and he looks so adorable Charlie has to hold his own hands from reaching out to the boy, holding his canned drink with both hands instead.
"You live close by?" Nick looks up, attempting a casual tone as he twists a chocolate bar in his own hands. Oreo Dairy Milk, Charlie takes a mental note. Hmmm, interesting.
"Yeah, three blocks from here. You?" His reply makes the taller boy smile widely, nodding as he starts walking towards the cashier alongside Charlie.
"A little more than that, but close too, yeah." When they reach the employee, Nick smoothly takes the can from the boy's grip and hands both items over. "They're both on me, please."
Charlie gasps, his eyes as wide as saucers.
"You… You don't have to." He replies, surprised, as Nick pays. Looking back behind his shoulder with a sweet smile, he, honest to God, winks at Charlie (oh my, what is happening?).
"I want to." Is what he replies, handing the drink back to him and putting the chocolate bar inside his bag. He motions the door with his head, a blush appearing on his cheeks. "Can I walk you home?"
"Um… Yeah. Sure." He stutters to answer, exiting the store when Nick opens the door for him.
They start walking side by side in silence, and whenever Charlie risks a look to his side, he finds Nick's eyes already on him, making him extremely self-aware of his warm cheeks and fluttering heartbeat.
"Um…" Nick starts, clearing his throat as they come to a stop in front of Charlie's house. "So, there is this… Party. This Saturday. Harry's party, actually." He adds, and Charlie's eyes widen in surprise. Harry Greene… Really? "Would you… Would you like to go? With me?" Even the boy's ears are tinted red by the time he finishes speaking, and Charlie is so surprised he can't help a shocked scoff out of his lips, immediately regretting it as he notices the way Nick's face falls at the response.
"No, it's not-" Charlie starts, stuttering. "Parties are just… Not really my thing, you know?" He shrugs, attempting to seem nonchalant, but he doubts it comes across as so, as Nick simply tilts his head to the side, confused. "You just surprised me. Sorry."
"Would you, though?" The boy says in a low voice, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Charlie furrows his eyebrows, uncertain. "Go to the party. With me, I mean. I'd really like for you to be there." He says in a rush, his cheeks still red, but he doesn't break eye contact even once, making Charlie's heart beat even faster.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Is all he can manage to say, because how would he say no to such a request? "Sure." He shrugs, trying to play in cool even though it feels like a whole zoo is going crazy inside his stomach at the moment - just butterflies don't even cut it anymore.
They wave their goodbyes, Nick promising to give him the details for the party before the end of the week, and if Charlie peeks through the window curtains to observe the boy walking down the street up until he disappears around the block, well, that's his business.
"Appreciating the landscape now, are you?" A voice comes from the bottom of the stairs, right behind him, and he jumps, dropping the piece of curtain he was holding and feeling his bag sliding down his shoulder.
"Jesus, Tori!" He huffs, exasperated. She simply raises her eyebrows, amused, and disappears to the kitchen.
Charlie drags himself upstairs and falls on the bed still in his uniform, biting into his pillow to keep himself from screaming as he recalls the last minutes.
Oh, lord. He said yes to a party. With Nick Nelson.
He's so, so screwed.
"So…" Isaac sits next to Charlie at his fourth class of the day. It's a Friday, so only a couple more hours of school and he's free for the weekend and the party he's equally terrified and excited to go to. "I heard Nick's got a date for Harry's party." He whispers, and Charlie's heart sinks at the words. Of course. Of fucking course.
"Who told you that?" Charlie has the mind to ask, keeping his voice down and masking his disappointment.
"Elle heard from Tara. He's super excited, she said. Even went out with his mum to buy a new shirt and all." Isaac giggles, but keeps his eyes on the book he's reading, his eyes not lifting from the page, keeping him from noticing the frown on Charlie's face.
"Oh." The curly boy sighs, and Isaac looks up at him with a confused look on his face, as if questioning his reaction. Not wanting to talk about his embarrassing crush on this boy, who apparently had a date to the party, Charlie simply shrugs and looks away, just as the teacher walks in and the class starts.
As he walks home, later that day, he questions himself on going to the party the following day or coming up with an excuse instead. He could say he wasn’t feeling well, or that something else came up. Nick would probably not even notice his absence, he thinks to himself.
Just before going to bed, Charlie’s phone lights up with two notifications and he can’t help but pick it up to check what it is - almost dropping the mobile on the floor at what he reads.
Instagram [40s]
nicholaszzzzz wants to send you a direct message
Instagram [1min]
nicholaszzzzz requested to follow you
Charlie holds his breath as he clicks on the message, unsure of what Nick could possibly want to talk to him about just one day before the party. Maybe it’s a sign for him to tell the boy he’s not gonna go to the event anymore - he wonders, as the app opens and he accepts the follow request before going to the direct messages session.
The message is short and Charlie stares at it until the screen turns off again, the reflection of his own face on the screen - his eyebrows drawn together in pure confusion.
nicholaszzzzz
Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!!! ♥️
He paces around his room for several minutes, turning the screen on and off so he can read the message again. And again.
Finally, he opens the message again and starts typing a reply. The little green dot on Nick’s profile picture makes his hands shake - the boy is online. Charlie wonders for a second if he was sitting in bed just waiting for a reply, but the unlikeliness of it causes him to let out a loud snort, accidentally sending the message before he could double check his answer. The “seen” warning right below the message appears immediately, meaning that Nick probably had the chat open at that exact moment. Oh .
cfspring
hey! yeah, can’t wait! see you then xx
nicholaszzzzz
Night xxx
He sent kisses to Nick Nelson on Instagram, he realizes, horrified.
Smooth, Charlie. Very smooth.
But, on the other hand… Nick replied back. With three . Did he do it just to match Charlie’s own or did that mean anything?
Turning his screen off with a frustrated growl and placing the phone face down on his nightstand, he tucks himself into bed and falls asleep to dreams of parties and a certain honey-eyed boy.
Charlie ends up deciding to walk to the house where the party is being hosted, around twenty minutes after the time he agreed with Nick on. Which is not very nice of him, he's aware. But up until half an hour ago he was still debating even attending in the first place, so.
He spent way too long second-guessing his outfit options, but ended up deciding on a band t-shirt with a plain sleeved on top of it, a pair of ripped up jeans and his dark blue converse.
Inside the house, he's quick to spot the other boy as he walks inside the large room, Nick entertained in conversation with what Charlie recognizes to be a few of the rugby players from the team. He seems focused on the conversation, probably to be able to understand what’s being said, considering that the music inside is so loud that Charlie can feel the beat pumping inside his head.
After drumming his fingers on the side of his leg nervously, he weighs his options and ends up deciding to grab a juice to drink at the improvised bar in the kitchen, to then find a more quiet place to hang out as he gathers the courage to swim through the wave of people to get to where Nick is and, perhaps, say hi.
He turns to his right and moves quickly and, as he has his drink in hand, he walks back to the main room, his eyes stopping at the flight of stairs - what seems like a good idea to escape the too crowded room for a second.
On the second floor, he locates a row of small balconies that are completely empty, and walks down the corridor towards the very last one. It's only small enough to fit three people, at max, but has the fresh air and partial quiet vibes Charlie needed, so he takes it. Placing his half empty cup on a small side table on the corridor, he takes a step outside, going to the balcony, and as a breeze hits his face he smiles, closing his eyes for a second. Opening them again, he takes another step outside, already reaching the limit of the tiny space. Leaning forward, he places his palms against the banister, taking a deep breath. He looks around as his heart rate lowers, not being around large crowds anymore, and takes in the space around him, looking down. Looks like he's on the second floor right at the back of the house, the balcony facing what looks like a garden of sorts, a couple of benches with fairy lights hung in the trees around it - an interesting and calming contrast to the loud club-style music coming from the inside of the house. It's almost like looking at a sacred place, detached from the army of nosy chaotic teenagers jumping and dancing only a few steps away.
“Hi.” He jumps as he hears a voice behind him, his hands slipping, forcing him to support his weight with his hip on the side of the balcony, turning around awkwardly and tilting a bit to the side. A firm hand holds onto the side of his waist, helping him keep himself in place. His cheeks burn as he takes in the person in front of him. “Sorry.” Nick says, smiling lightly, flushed cheeks even more prominent with the pink-ish shirt he's wearing. “Didn't mean to scare you.” He adds, squeezing the grip on the boy's waist. “I'm really glad you're here.” The rugby boy says timidly, his voice low, barely loud enough for Charlie's ears to catch the words.
“Yeah?” Charlie asks, unsure. “What about… Um…” He gulps, nervous, and Nick tilts his head to the side, his eyebrows tilted up. The confused look on his face makes the boy's heartbeat quicken. “Your date?”
“My… Date?” He repeats, confused. His cheeks redden and he bites his lower lip.
“Yeah. The girls said you had a date. You can…” Charlie clears his throat, linking his hands behind his back without knowing how to handle himself. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “You can go to them if you want, no need to babysit me.” He attempts a strangled giggle, looking at the floor and the spot where the tip of their shoes are touching. Oh, did Nick take a step closer?
“Charlie…” He feels a careful touch on his chin, delicately tilting his head upwards until their eyes meet. Nick's smirk makes the boy confused, and he doesn't say a word. “How many people do you think I invited to this party, exactly?” Surprised by the question, he laughs, shrugging, Nick's touch on his face still firm, maintaining the eye contact.
“How am I supposed to know that, Nicholas?” He attempts mockery in his tone, but is unsure of how it's perceived, considering the way Nick's smile simply widens. “I'm not a psychic, you know.”
“No, but you can be pretty clueless sometimes.” The taller boy says, the smirk returning to his face as he moves his fingers, his palm shifting to cup the side of the other boy's face, a thumb caressing his cheek. “The date is you, Charles. You're the one I've been waiting for.”
“Oh. Me?” He asks, dumbly. “Oh… Ohhhh. Oh my God, that day at school.” His brain works fast now, filling gaps he wasn't even sure existed. Nick seems entertained by his confusion, moving his other hand to cup the boy's other cheek, his face now carefully held between his hands. “You were coming out to me.” He gapes, his eyebrows shooting up as another memory appears. “The hallway. You were watching me practice! I thought that was my wishful thinking…” Nick takes a step forward and Charlie closes his mouth with a loud thud, his body hot in the place where their chests are now touching, their noses only a breath apart. He looks up, their eyes meeting again.
“Can we do the flashback friday moment later so I can finally kiss you now?” His gaze drops to the boy's lips.
“It's…” Charlie licks his lips, noticing the way the other boy's eyes follow the movement. “It's a saturday.” He moves his face a bit closer, their noses touching now. “Technically.” He whispers against Nick's mouth with a smirk of his own, finally closing the distance and locking their mouths together.
Nick can’t help the sigh he lets out as their lips meet, and the way his hands fist on the boy’s jumper, pulling him closer. The kiss is the perfect mix of chaotic and sweet, it’s slow and tentative but also passionate and exploring. Charlie feels like Nick is talking through the kiss, letting his desire known and in the open, no space for doubts. They separate only by a breath, as the need for air becomes too much, and Nick carefully studies his face as he gathers the courage to speak.
“Would you like to…” He takes a breath, without letting go of his hold on the boy. “Go out with me?”
“Yeah?” Charlie asks, still breathless, his weight leaning against Nick’s chest as he’s still on his tiptoes.
“On a date. Just so we’re like… Completely clear.” He adds with a smirk, their eyes locked on each other, their breaths mingling.
“I’d love to.” Charlie replies, his voice slow, as he pulls Nick closer and kisses him again.
The End