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Australia was just stunning.
It was so different from any place Nick had visited before. The views were amazing, the coast was breathtaking, he could sit on the edge of the cliffs for hours. Even the air smelled different. He absolutely loved it. He was enjoying the new experience of solo travelling - he felt relaxed and free, almost intoxicated. And he could finally see some sun again - travelling to Australia in the middle of the English winter had its advantages.
“Oh right, SPF!” Nick suddenly remembered. With his skin complexion he had to reapply it a lot. He walked out of the queue for a second to find the tube of cream and put some on his face and arms. Once it was done, he put a cap on his head, found his sunglasses, grabbed his backpack and stood in a queue to the ferry again, with a big smile on his face.
He was so excited for this trip. Perth was amazing and he had a great time discovering the city, but what he was really thrilled for, was the trip to Rottnest Island. He had wanted to visit this place ever since he learned about quokkas - the sweetest and most adorable animals in the whole world. He had never heard of them until recently, since quokkas weren’t found in Europe, but once Nick saw a YouTube video about an Australian island with the biggest population of quokkas, he knew he had to go there soon and take some pictures. A lot of pictures, actually.
Ok, there was another reason for his excitement for quokkas, a real one, but he would rather die than admit it to any of his friends (Darcy especially). Nick had a little secret - he didn’t learn about quokkas from a book or a nature history series. The truth was, he learnt about them from an amazing wrong number AU fanfic he found on AO3 one Friday evening. The story was so well written and contained a lot of cute animal pictures and gifs, and quokkas were a big part of this story. Nick was hooked from the very first sentence, and once he discovered where those adorable animals lived, he knew exactly where he wanted to travel next.
Once he walked onto the ferry he took off his backpack, looking for a free seat. That’s when he heard possibly the most adorable sound ever - a sweet, delicate giggle. He turned his head to see a man talking on a phone. He almost tripped over his own feet. This was one of… no, scratch that, the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
This guy was around his age - he was lean but had some muscles (Nick could spot them under his cropped light blue t-shirt). He had gorgeous, dark curls which danced with the wind and the most beautiful, piercing blue eyes which - Nick could swear - almost sparkled when he smiled. And his smile! Oh god. This guy had dimples. Plural.
Honestly, if Nick didn’t already know he was bi, he would certainly have had his bisexual awakening right this very second. This guy just ticked all the boxes on Nick’s sexiest person alive list. Not a big deal. Not at all.
“Sir? Do you want to sit here? It’s free,” a little girl in the seat closest to him asked, snapping him out of his admiration state.
“Oh! Yes, actually, thank you,” he replied to the girl and sat next to her. The spot was perfect - he was close enough to observe the beautiful stranger and hear his voice, but far enough to give himself some time to calm down and think of some topics to ask him eventually.
This guy was just mesmerising. Nick wanted to know more about him. What was his name? Was he single? Was he even queer? Nick needed to find out. But before he could even think of a clever-and-not-too-obvious way to do it, he spotted a pride pin on the stranger’s backpack. Phew! It was his lucky day. He put his own backpack with his bi pin on his lap in a way he hoped looked nonchalant and waited for the man to notice it as well.
After a moment, the man looked over and his eyes landed on the bi pin. Nick could see his eyes and smile grew bigger, and Nick couldn’t be more thrilled.
Suddenly, their eyes met and Nick gasped. The stranger’s eyes were even more beautiful than he originally thought. So big and insanely blue, with long lashes and thick, strong brows. How could one person be so perfect? And then… he winked at him. And continued his phone conversation like nothing had happened with a big, teasing smile on his face.
Nick’s whole body burst into flames. Cute and confident?
Nick was totally gone.
And so for the next hour he thought of the ways he could approach him and ask if they could spend some time together on the island. But that was too forward, right? It was crazy, they didn’t know each other. Yet, he thought. Maybe it was better to trust fate and see what the day brings?
So he enjoyed the cruise, caught up with Tara and Darcy in their group chat (purposely avoiding the topic of his newly formed crush) and sent his mum some nice pictures. Before he knew it, they had reached Rottnest Island and it was time to get out.
Nick slowly exited the ferry, looking for a familiar mop of curls. He couldn’t find his stranger anywhere, but he knew the island wasn’t that big, so he hoped they'd bump into each other somewhere later. And maybe spent some time together, if he’s lucky.
The island was even more gorgeous than he hoped for. He had seen some pictures beforehand of course, but none of them captured the natural beauty of this place. And he had the whole day to spend there! He was so excited.
In his head, he thanked his father again for the absurd amount of guilty money he had received recently. He knew he should’ve spent it more wisely, but honestly - spending it on a plane ticket to Australia and then on a whole-day trip to an island full of quokkas? All because of a gorgeous fanfic? Yup, that sounded about right.
Okay, I’m finally here - Nick thought, looking at the crystal clear water near the Visitor Centre. What should he do now? Go for a walk? Find a nice beach to try surfing for the first time? Go look for a perfect place to observe some quokkas?
He saw a ‘Pedal & Flipper Hire’ sign and decided that a bike would be the best way to explore the island.
After quick consideration of which bike to choose, Nick greeted the kind salesperson goodbye, promising he’d return his bike by the end of the day to prevent himself from getting fined.
When he wheeled the bike he had rented out of the shop, Nick had to blink several times to adjust his sight to the brightness of the sun rising high above the beautifully coloured turquoise water. Cursing his hypersensitive eyes, he reached into his backpack to grab for his sunglasses and sighed happily as soon as their much needed shade provided him with its familiar soothing darkness.
After folding down the kickstand of his bike, Nick took out the flyer he’d found on the ferry from his trouser pockets to decide which cycle paths to take by bike. There was a short one, only 30 minutes and he dismissed that right away. Why would he have rented a bike for a whole day to only use it for such a short amount of time? The next suggestion already sounded better, taking him along the beaches and lighthouses for roughly three hours. The last one though was the full island loop, and given that Nick was mostly visiting this gorgeous island to see quokkas lazing around in the midday sun, he immediately opted for the longest path, hoping to increase the chance of spotting as many quokkas as possible. And maybe, along the way, he would also find a handsome young man with beautiful black curls?
With one last look around, just to be sure he hadn’t missed something - or someone - he got on his bike and rode off, smiling at the other people getting ready to explore the island as he passed them. With the warm wind tickling his face and softly playing with the strands of hair peeking out from under his helmet, he briefly thought back to his friends sending him pictures of a snowy London and freezing temperatures before sighing happily to himself, his gaze wandering to the blue eternity spreading out before his eyes.
Never in his life would he have thought that reading fanfiction would bring him to the other side of the world but he was most definitely not complaining as he took in a deep breath; the scent of unfamiliar plants mingling with the saltiness of the sea crashing against the rocks near the track. His mind went completely quiet as he cycled on paths alongside dark brown bushes, sandy banks and beautiful shores.
That was, until his brain registered words spoken in a very familiar accent, causing him to hit his brakes rather violently.
“Oh fuck off you stupid chain, I can’t believe I have to-”
The voice turned into a quiet mutter and Nick slowed down even more as he neared the person wearing a cropped, light blue t-shirt that exposed soft looking skin and black shorts, squatting down next to what looked like a broken down bicycle. His mind briefly wandered to the stranger with a similar outfit but he tried to shake the thought off as he parked his bike to see if his help would be needed.
Trying to make his presence known, he coughed lightly but his greeting words died in his throat as the other person turned around quickly in obvious shock.
It was him. The gorgeous stranger from the ferry ride to the island.
Nick felt his eyes widen in surprise and an unintentional smile tugging on his lips as he barely kept in a cheerfully shouted yay, I found you!
“Hi,” he breathed instead, feeling a blush warm his cheeks and inwardly rolling his eyes at his inability to play cool when surrounded by beautiful people. But he shouldn’t have worried as he watched the stranger’s gorgeous face turn from startled to almost pleased within less than a second, a soft smile showing hints of dimples. Did he also recognise him?
“Hi,” the stranger replied after a beat, sounding equally breathless but Nick - in order to keep his hopes in check - was quick to blame it on his body being folded into a quarter of his size.
“I recognise you from the ferry,” the stranger added and it took all Nick had in him to fight off a giddy smile upon hearing those words.
“I do, too,” he said and with a bravery he didn’t know he owned, he winked at the stranger, mirroring his gesture from the cruise. Nick’s heart missed several beats when he saw the blush on the other man’s face gaining in intensity and his smile growing into surprised delight.
They locked gazes, mesmerising deep blue eyes meeting his own amber-coloured ones, and for a few moments, they just smiled at each other. Nick tried his best to reign in his instant smittenness but there was just something about the other man, something that had captured his attention instantly with an intensity he hadn’t experienced in all of his 28 years of living.
Screeching seagulls chasing each other startled them both and Nick’s eyes fell to the bike lying on the gravel path. He cleared his throat to regain focus.
“Do you need help with that?” Nick asked, gesturing to the stranger’s bike as if it weren’t already obvious what he was talking about. Smooth, Nick.
“Honestly, I don’t even know,” the stranger replied, his smile fading slightly as he chuckled self-deprecatingly, “one moment I was riding my bike in peace and next thing I knew I was pedalling into the void and the chain was grinding along the path.” The stranger looked back at his bike, shrugging slightly helplessly. “I just hope it’s only the chain that needs to be put back in again and not the bike itself that’s broken. I would not want to walk all the way back.”
Nick closed the distance and squatted down next to the stranger, realising their sudden proximity a tad too late. He turned his head to look at the stranger and his breath hitched involuntarily as he was so very close to those beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the sun and staring at him in obvious surprise but, to Nick’s relief, with open kindness.
“Is it okay if I take a look?” Nick asked and the eagerness of the nod he immediately received made him smile, probably a little too big, which he tried to hide by turning to the task at hand.
Nick could tell almost instantly that the chain had slipped off the chainrings, but otherwise seemed to be intact. He turned back to the stranger to tell him as much but his words died in his throat as he found blue eyes intently resting on him instead on his bike. Both men flushed instantly, smiling shyly at each other until the stranger averted his gaze to his converse-clad feet. Nick’s heart skipped a beat at the tender promise of their quick exchange.
“Is it-. Um, is it okay if I-” Nick stuttered before he cleared his throat, gesturing broadly over to the bike, already slowly standing up.
The stranger followed his example and got up himself, looking at him questioningly with his dark eyebrows raised high into his curls. Nick was momentarily and severely distracted by the stranger’s cropped t-shirt showing just a sliver of beautifully tanned abs with a hint of a treasure trail. Right, bike. Nick’s gaze snapped up to the stranger's face where he found kind eyes and a slight smirk waiting for him, causing his cheeks to heat up rather intensely. He cleared his throat again.
“Is it okay if I turn over your bike to get the chain back in easily?” Nick asked, almost proud at how steady his voice sounded this time around.
“Please,” the stranger said, his smile wide again, “help yourself. I assume it’s not your first time putting a chain back on?”
Nick chuckled as he shook his head. “No, definitely not. At this point I might even be able to put it back in blindly. It’ll only take me a min and then you’re good to go again.”
He inwardly cursed himself, wishing he hadn’t just bragged about being fast because it meant they’d have to part again as there wasn’t really a reason for them to stay together after this. Well apart from Nick’s urge to stay close and not lose sight of his beautiful stranger again, but other than that, he couldn’t think of an excuse just yet.
He carefully put each rivet of the chain back on the sprockets and then turned the pedal around to test its proper functionality. Even though he did it all as inconspicuously slowly as possible, there wasn’t much left to do after a little more than a minute than to say, “Well,” in a somewhat concluding way, straighten up and flip the bike back on its wheels, pushing it into the stranger’s direction. Looking up, Nick caught the man staring dazedly at his upper arms and reflexively flexed his bicep, biting his lips to suppress a grin as he saw the other man’s eyes widen ever so slightly before he seemed to snap back into reality, blushing an adorable pink as he cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Nick’s arms to his bike.
“Thank you,” the stranger said and Nick could’ve sworn his voice was higher-pitched than it had been three minutes earlier. He cleared his throat again before he repeated his ‘thank you’ in a much steadier voice, smiling shyly but warmly.
“You’re welcome,” Nick replied, “It should work now. Your chain had come off, but other than that your bike looks okay.”
They locked gazes and for a little while, Nick lost all feeling for time as he lost himself in those blue pools competing with the sea in their beauty. Suddenly, there was thought crossing his mind.
“Maybe I should keep you compa-”
“Maybe you could keep me compa-”
They both spoke at the same time, snorting before starting to speak again as if rehearsed many times before.
“Just in case your chain brea-”
“Just in case my chain brea-”
They giggled sheepishly - or, in Nick’s case, rather giddily - when their respective and very similar choice of words registered in the other’s brain. Nick couldn’t contain his joy at their obviously shared brain cell and mutual feeling of not wanting to separate just yet and he felt his smile grow wide in delight as he finally handed over the other man’s bike; the touch of their hands brushing against each other sending sparks up Nick’s arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. His gaze dropped to their hands and he watched the remnants of the other man’s own goosebumps slowly disappear. He looked up again, finding the other man staring at him in surprise.
Nick shook his head in the tiniest of movements to regain his composure, willing his brain to come up with words, any words.
“I’m tempted to say ‘Jinx’ but it wasn’t the exact same thing so I’m not sure it counts,” Nick chuckled softly.
“I think we’d need to know each other’s names to play this game by its rules,” the other man replied, raising one teasing eyebrow, a soft blush still visible on his high cheekbones.
Nick felt his smile grow into a smirk. Interesting, was he fishing for Nick’s name?
“I’m Nick.”
“I’m Charlie,” the other man said and Nick only barely held back from repeating his name in a smitten sigh, the game of ‘Jinx’ long forgotten.
Instead, he straightened up and cleared his throat, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he walked the short distance to his own bike.
“So, Charlie,” he said, “ready to discover the island with your own mechanic in tow?”
It earned him a snort and a light blush, leaving him pretty satisfied as he got on his bike and they started driving alongside each other.
Charlie was the first to break the comfortable silence.
“I noticed your accent sounds a lot like mine, are you also from the UK?” he asked, “you don’t need to answer of course, I’m just curious.”
Nick briefly glanced at him with a - what he hoped - reassuring smile on his face.
“I wanted to ask you the same, actually. And yes, I’m from the UK, from London, to be specific.”
For a moment, Charlie lost control and he almost collided with Nick’s bike as he looked over at him in shock, whispering a low, “No fucking way, what are the fucking chances?”
They slowed down in silent mutual agreement, eyeing each other incredulously.
After coming to a halt, Nick felt compelled to be more precise in his answer. “I live in East London.”
Charlie’s surprised gasp told him everything he wanted to know and he inwardly cheered so loud, a single soft squeal escaped his lips he immediately tried to cover up with a cough.
“I can’t believe that we’re living in the same area in the same city in the same country but we meet on the other side of the world,” Charlie said, his voice slightly strained and his smile wide. “And I can’t believe that reading fanfiction about quokkas led me here,” Charlie continued after a beat in a low murmur, his eyes widening immediately as he seemed to catch on what he just said, pressing his lips together rather tightly as if to prevent himself from speaking further.
Nick could only stare at him in shock. Did he hear that right?
“What?” Nick basically breathed, his surprise undoubtedly written all over his features.
Charlie blushed to an almost concerning degree, his beautiful tanned skin darkening as he averted his gaze down to his shoes.
“Nothing,” he murmured.
“No please, Charlie, I’m not judging you, I’m here for the same reason!” Nick said quickly, feeling the need to comfort the other man.
Charlie’s beautiful blue eyes snapped back up to him in obvious disbelief.
“You what?”
“I’ve read a story about two men, a wrong phone number and a lot of quokkas,” Nick explained and when he saw that Charlie’s expression still was one of pure astonishment, he decided to go all in. “I’m here because of fanfiction… After I graduated, my dad overcompensated for never really being in my life with a ridiculous amount of guilt-money and now I decided to travel before I start a new job. I wanted to see those lovely little creatures I saw so many gifs of in that story in their natural habitat and well, here I am.”
While Nick talked, he saw Charlie’s whole face light up, morphing from disbelief to surprise and ending up in wonder, a huge smile deepening his dimples to a new degree and it took all of Nick’s willpower to not reach out and let his fingertips brush over those tempting dents.
“Fuck off!” Charlie exclaimed, his harsh words betrayed by the delight in his voice. “Same,” he added after a beat, giggling and shaking his head. “Well, not same same, but close. I decided to visit my brother Olly who’s studying marine biology in Perth before I’m about to start a new job back in London. At least that’s the official reason. I’m mostly here because of that wrong-number-story I loved so much and the absolute need to see quokkas. So the second Olly had to go to Uni, I took the ferry to visit Rottnest Island in hopes of spotting some.”
Nick just stared at him, too engrossed in the plethora of coincidences that brought them here; letting them meet as far away from home as possible.
“I guess every other person on this earth would consider us pretty bonkers for travelling all the way to Australia because of reading fanfiction and wanting to see quokkas,” Charlie chuckled.
Nick laughed in response, shrugging, because yes, Charlie was absolutely right, they could definitely be seen as slightly weird, there was no use in denying it.
He held out his hand for Charlie to shake. “Let’s make our madness official and bet on who spots more quokkas,” Nick suggested and Charlie immediately took Nick’s hand in his, shaking it in obvious delight.
“You mean like spotting yellow cars?” He said, chuckling when he saw Nick nod in reply.
“What does the winner get?” Charlie asked, not letting go of Nick’s hand, even though their shaking movement had slowed to a virtual stop.
“Loser buys the other a drink?” Nick suggested, wiggling his eyebrow.
“Perfect,” Charlie giggled, “the bet’s on!”
Reluctantly, they released their hands, fingers brushing softly and slowly over palms and Nick couldn’t help but smile at the gentle display of mutual disinterest at letting go.
For the next half an hour, they constantly tried to outdo the other with new quokka-sightings whereby Charlie had to point out more than once that, “No, Nick, this is not a quokka either, just a bush!” They even made a new game out of it, ‘Quokka or Bush’, until they almost fell from their bikes from laughter at a bush that even moved like a quokka, confusing them both.
Nick caught himself more than once marvelling at how at ease he felt with the other man he had barely known for a couple of hours. Their banter and teasing felt so familiar as if they had known each other for way longer and whenever they talked about their lives, Nick didn’t hesitate to share with Charlie whatever came to his mind, something he never did with people he just met.
There was just something about Charlie and his attentive way of asking questions, his caring personality and witty humour that made Nick feel so utterly comfortable, so seen and understood, he just couldn’t stop himself from falling for him, hard and fast. Nick didn’t really worry though, as Charlie also seemed to be sharing a lot with Nick, including that he had been bullied in the past for being gay and that it had messed with his mental health; leaving Nick’s heart aching for the other man and Nick’s mind admiring him for his resilience.
So Nick couldn’t help but feel tentative vines of hope winding their way around his usual lump of self-doubt; starting to squash it with the reasonable assumption that the ease he felt around Charlie was mutual.
When they reached a place on the bike track that had groups of quokkas nearby, they slowed down to take pictures, being careful not to disturb them. But either the quokkas were used to people coming close by now or they were just very trusting animals, because they absolutely didn’t care about distance and approached Nick and Charlie curiously as soon as they got off their bikes. They laughed at their antics as they removed their helmets, but Nick was easily distracted at the way Charlie’s curls unfurled from their prison, dancing freely in the wind providing them some sort of cooling. He patted down his own hair, assuming it looked horrendous with its helmet hairdo, trying to find the parting he felt comfortable with.
Feeling Charlie’s eyes on him, he looked up the moment Charlie softly asked, “May I?” and when Nick nodded questioningly, he raised his hands to gently help Nick rearrange his slightly too long strands. The gesture was so intimate and his motions so tender, Nick’s chest tightened up and longing for the other man captured Nick with force, his breath caught in his throat and he almost closed his eyes and leaned into Charlie’s touch. Charlie slowed down in his movement as they locked gazes; standing so close to each other, Nick could hear his soft gasp and feel his slow exhale against his throat. His heart skipped several beats and the gathering of butterflies was so intense, it sent shivers over his whole body. They both closed the little distance; leaning in slowly and he was about to close his eyes in anticipation when Charlie suddenly let out a surprised shriek, startling them both. Charlie pulled back, giggling and reaching down to his shin, rubbing a hand over a slowly reddeding spot.
“It scratched my leg!” Charlie exclaimed, stepping away from the overly curious quokka. He was breathless from laughter still bubbling up and so beautiful with his bouncing curls, flushed cheeks and shining eyes it knocked the air out of Nick’s lungs with a gasp. He had to swallow hard to regain his composure and remember where they were and why.
He looked down and realised that they were now surrounded by a small group of those tiny and oh-so-cute animals, allowing them to take many funny pictures of them but also with them.
With every selfie they took, Nick and Charlie moved closer until they were so tactile with each other that Nick had a hard time holding back from constantly pulling Charlie closer for yet another picture. When Charlie tried and adorably failed to casually ask for Nick’s number so he could send their selfies to him - betrayed by the slightly hesitant way of phrasing it and the uncertainty in his eyes - Nick had to bite his lip to keep a sly grin from spreading on his face. His “Yes! Of course!” had been too quick and eager to be seen as smooth and he knew it, but he didn’t mind when he saw Charlie smiling so happily back at him.
Finally meeting quokkas from up close, they both noticed just how small quokkas were and Nick was very tempted to reach out and pet them more than once; they were just too sweet with their little faces smiling so happily back at him.
“You think they’ll notice if I take one home?” Charlie asked, voicing something Nick had just been thinking to himself and he looked at him in surprise. “They’re small enough to fit in my backpack,” he added, his voice and gaze laced with fondness as he watched one of these cute creatures contentedly chewing on a leaf.
As if understanding Charlie’s words, the group of quokkas retreated back into the bushes to most likely go back to sleep again until nighttime, causing Charlie to huff out an amused, “Or maybe not, I’ll take the hint.”
Charlie gently elbowed Nick’s ribs as he laughed about his own joke and Nick only barely refrained from blurting out maybe you could take me home instead?
Relax, he told himself, you live in the same city and even in the same area.
As they stepped out from the shadow of the few pine trees back into the light of the midday sun standing high in the sky, Nick suddenly felt beaten by the heat of the Australian summer and he couldn’t help but groan a low, “Oh fuck, it’s hot.”
Charlie looked over at him from where he stood next to his bike, already putting on his helmet again, raising a thoughtful eyebrow.
“Wanna go swimming?” Charlie asked, a soft smile on his lips and fuck, how could he fall for someone this quick after only a few hours of knowing them?
“Please,” Nick answered with a slightly over-exaggerated sigh, already pulling out his map of the island to check out the nearest beach. He squinted at the paper blinding him despite his sunglasses and it took him a little longer than usual to figure out where they were on the map.
“Ha, found you,” he exclaimed a few moments later, “‘Little Salmon Bay’ is very close.” Nick read the additional info about the small bay. “Oh, they don’t have food or drinks there,” he said, looking up at Charlie, “will that still be fine with you?”
Charlie looked thoughtful at this question. “I’ve got food and drinks with me, I always do,” he eventually answered, his eyes downcast.
Nick refrained from asking more questions, sensing that there was more to it than Charlie had just let on, wanting to respect Charlie’s boundaries. They didn’t know each other that long after all.
“Perfect, that’s settled then?” Nick said instead, relieved to see a genuine smile tugging on Charlie’s lips as he nodded in agreement.
They rode the short way to the beach in silence which was anything but awkward and once again, Nick realised just how happy he felt. Whatever would grow from here between them, this day had already been so magical, he just knew he would treasure it forever in his heart.
After locking their bikes together near the entrance to the beach, they made their way down to the water. After some wobbling and cursing and moaning about sand in their shoes, they stopped to take off their Vans and Converse for a better grip in the blindingly white and impossibly fine sand. They found a spot under overhanging rocks providing them with shadow that was much needed by Nick’s light skin and spread out their respective towels.
Nick sat down and leant back on his palms, his fingers partly buried in the deeper layers of the sand which were slightly cooler to the touch, his head falling back with his eyes closed, his legs spread out with his toes wiggling and he couldn’t help but let out a very content and happy sigh.
“Alright?” Nick heard Charlie chuckle next to him and he hummed in agreement.
“Never been better,” he added after a while, glancing over at the other man only to find him already looking at him, a soft smile on his lips. He didn’t avert his gaze despite being caught and for a while, they just looked at each other until Nick felt something warm brush along his pinky finger. His gaze dropped to the touch and he felt his smile grow even bigger and warmth bloom in his chest when he saw Charlie’s hand sitting very close to his, his little finger currently halting slightly awkwardly mid air as if waiting for Nick’s response. Nick’s eyes snapped back up, searching Charlie’s face and his expression was so tender and hopeful, Nick immediately unburied his hand from the sand to lay it gently over Charlie’s, squeezing tight. Charlie’s smile in response was beautifully happy and it stayed like that even after they turned their heads back towards the sea rolling in gentle waves against the shore.
“Do you wanna go swimming or eat first?” Nick asked quietly after god-knows-how-long of peaceful quiet.
A low grumble from Charlie’s belly caused them both to laugh and to start unpack their backpacks in silent agreement.
Where Nick had brought a slightly messy sandwich, Charlie had all his food in small containers he carefully placed next to him on his towel. Sensing his gaze, Charlie looked up at Nick, a light blush on his cheeks.
“I have issues with food,” he explained, his voice low and slightly uncertain, “I-, I um…”
“Charlie, you don’t need to explain,” Nick interrupted him gently, “I just admired how organised your food is.”
“Oh,” he chuckled in response, “yeah, that comes with who I am.”
Charlie looked down to his hands he’d lowered in his lap while he talked. “Remember how I told you about the bullying? I have OCD and I’ve been treated for an eating disorder. I’ve gotten way better over time, but there are still remnants like organising my food and stuff,” Charlie said, pointing at the layout before him.
When he looked up at Nick, his gaze was so vulnerable as if he feared Nick would run away at the confession. Little did he know that quite the opposite was real and Nick fell a little harder for the brave man sitting in front of him.
“Is it okay if I hold your hand?” Nick asked. Charlie nodded, his gaze incredulous, but less uncertain than before. Nick reached out and took hold of one of Charlie’s hands, their fingers interlacing immediately despite the slightly awkward angle.
“Thank you for telling me all of this, Char,” Nick murmured, “I really admire you for being so brave and open with me. It shows how resilient you are and I think it also shows that, by learning how to live with it and accepting it to some degree, how much you love and respect yourself and I really think that’s wonderful.”
For a few beats, Charlie just stared at him, his expression unreadable and Nick began to fear he’d overstepped but then a tentative smile started to tug on Charlie’s beautiful lips.
“I never looked at it that way,” he almost whispered, his voice almost getting carried away with the wind. “Thank you, it means a lot,” he added. Then, a teasing glint appeared in his eyes and he simply said, “Also, Char?”
It took Nick a moment to catch up on what Charlie could mean but as soon as realisation hit him, he blushed hard.
“That-, that just slipped out,” he mumbled, his free hand rubbing his neck in his tell-tale nervous gesture.
“I like it, it’s cute!” Charlie reassured him, his smile so bright it almost competed with the Australian summer sun.
“Well, I’ll never-,” Nick started but thought better of it. “Okay,” he chuckled softly, his smile equally bright, “Char.”
They held eye-contact until Nick picked up his sandwich and started eating, gaze averting to the sea to give Charlie space. After a few moments, he saw from the corner of his eyes that Charlie had begun to eat too, a sweet smile tugging on the corner of his mouth that Nick desperately wanted to feel against his lips. He squeezed Charlie’s hand gently.
The conversation as they ate their meals flowed just as easily as it had all day and it felt as if they’d known each other for years instead of only hours. Nick couldn’t have been happier.
After lazing around, sharing earphones and listening to one of Charlie’s playlists, being content in silence and happy while talking, they decided to go swimming, ending in clumsy attempts to change from shorts to trunks with their towels wrapped around them tightly to cover the parts they weren’t ready so show the other just yet.
After reapplying sunscreen with Charlie’s help, Nick held out his hand for Charlie to take before they made their short way to the water. The fact that Charlie didn’t hesitate for a second before he accepted it caused a giddy joy to spread in Nick’s chest.
“Let’s take a moment to think of all the Brits freezing their arses off while we’re here with the sea so pleasantly warm and the sun shining hotly down on us,” Charlie said as they were treading through the slowly deepening water.
“My friend Darcy’s response would be this,” Nick said, gently pushing Charlie’s side but underestimating his strength. Taken by surprise, Charlie toppled over with a squeal and fell into the water rather ungracefully, his arms flailing.
Despite feeling slightly bad, Nick couldn’t help but laugh but it didn’t last long as he suddenly felt something push on the back of his knees, causing him to collapse into the water too.
Now fully drenched, they both emerged from the water, suddenly standing very close. They didn’t step back even after finding their footing again, instead they let their bodies dance with the force of the waves, each one bringing them even closer until their chests touched, cool skin against cool skin.
Charlie slowly lifted his arms, letting his hands slide along Nick’s biceps until they reached his neck, his fingers gently scratching the back of his head, their gazes growing intense with every passing moment.
“Is this okay, Nick?”
Nick nodded slowly, dazed, his own hands finding hold on Charlie’s slender waist, pulling him close, their bodies now almost merging into one with each push and pull of the sea around them.
Nick leaned down to rest his forehead against Charlie’s and took a moment to actually let himself feel their closeness; Charlie’s chest heaving with each breath against Nick’s, their breaths mingling with the saltiness of the sea, their arms curled around each other; pulling impossibly closer with every sway until there wasn’t any room left for even a single piece of seaweed to come between them.
“Can I kiss you, Charlie?” Nick whispered into their shared space and he felt Charlie nod, his “Yeah,” more of a feeling against his skin than an actual sound.
Nick tilted his head as Charlie rose on his tip-toes and when they finally kissed, it felt like home, a familiarity taking over Nick couldn’t explain as they continued to press lips against lips in the tenderest of brushes. Their first kiss was incredibly gentle but short, as their happy smiles grew too wide to continue. They pulled back to look at each other, their expression slowly turning into something more serious, their gazes carrying hints of developing feelings. To Nick, the moment felt pretty monumental as he simply knew he would never find a person who felt as perfect as Charlie and the realisation that he didn’t actually want to find another person ever again didn’t even really surprise him. He just knew he’d found his person.
“I’ve wanted to do that for quite some time now,” Charlie admitted quietly, “even though I normally don’t feel like that so soon after meeting someone. But with you it’s-” Charlie paused, briefly glancing down to his hands resting on Nick’s shoulder before looking up again; his eyes shining with the reflection of sunbeams dancing on the water surface and there was so much affection visible in his gaze, Nick felt his smile grow tender with endearment, “with you it’s just different, I feel so comfortable around you, so seen for who I am, cared for and even liked? I don’t know if that makes any sense at all.”
There was a warmth blooming in Nick’s chest upon hearing those words, spreading throughout his whole body with every rapid beat of his heart and he couldn’t help but close the distance again for a brief kiss that turned into three, before he found his words again.
“It does make sense, Char, so much,” Nick murmured, “I feel like we have a connection I’ve only ever read about in tales or fanfiction.”
Charlie chuckled lightly against him, squeezing his shoulder.
“And I wanted to kiss you for a long time, too,” Nick added. “I saw you on the ferry and thought you were so gorgeous. Then we met again and I got to know you a little and you’re so beautiful inside and out. And I can’t believe I’m holding you in my arms now, I’m so happy and I just-,” Nick sighed happily, his hands coming up to cradle Charlie’s cheek. “May I kiss you again?”
“You may,” Charlie immediately replied, the last few letters merely breathed against Nick’s lips before they closed the distance with another kiss that soon turned rather passionate as Charlie’s tongue slowly brushed against Nick’s lower lip, asking for entrance which Nick immediately granted and suddenly Nick’s mind was completely taken over by everything Charlie. The world could’ve stopped around them but he wouldn’t have cared as his hands left their place around Charlie’s waist to trail up his back, feeling each and every part of his skin with his wandering fingertips until his restless hands found purchase in Charlie’s wet but unbelievably soft curls.
Time lost its meaning as they just stood there in the water, kissing each other as if they’d been separated for way too many years and maybe, that was even true.
If someone had asked Nick what he did with the rest of that afternoon he could not have told them. The blue ocean, the white sand, the amazing quokkas - they all faded into the background. The only thing he would remember would be Charlie. How his tanned skin felt under his fingers, how his eyes were as blue as the sky, the way his curls sprang back to life as the sun dried his hair.
Charlie’s giggle.
Charlie’s smell.
Charlie’s mouth.
Charlie. Charlie. Charlie.
He assumed Charlie must have been equally as distracted, as neither of them remembered the ferry. Nick’s phone had been forgotten in his bag since he went swimming. They had lounged about on the beach, kissing and cuddling, with no thought of the hours or the daylight that was disappearing.
Lost in their own bubble, the boys were lying on the sand, Nick using his towel as a pillow and Charlie using Nick’s tummy as his. This time it was the rumble of Nick’s stomach that alerted them both to the passing of time.
“We should probably go and find something to eat,” Charlie giggled, stroking Nick’s tummy with his fingers.
“Yeah, I could eat” Nick replied lazily, as Charlie untangled himself from Nick and reached into his bag for his phone. “What time is it anyway?”
“Fuck!” Charlie cried “Nick! It's six o’clock!”
It took several seconds for Nick’s brain to come back online. The last ferry left the island at seven o’clock and they were nowhere near the jetty. They had to ride back, return their bikes and board in less than an hour - even if they rode their hardest they would be unlikely to make it.
Charlie had started wildly packing up his beach things and was looking incredibly stressed.
After such a delightful afternoon enjoying Charlie’s smiles, it was heartbreaking for Nick to see him looking so tense. He placed one hand gently on Charlie’s shoulder and used the other to take hold of the towel Charlie was trying to shove into his backpack.
“Char,” he said softly. “I don’t think we will make it back on time, sweetheart.”
“But it’s the last ferry,” Charlie said in a quiet voice, pressing his lips together tightly.
“It’s only the last ferry today,” Nick said, rubbing his hand up and down Charlie’s arm. “We could always catch one back tomorrow.”
“But that would mean…”
Nick could tell the exact moment Charlie realised exactly what that would mean, because his eyes suddenly went wide and his mouth dropped open - an expression he swiftly converted to a wry smile with a quirked eyebrow.
“Nicholas, are you suggesting we should stay the night on the island? That is very bold of you to assume I would have no other plans tonight back in Perth!”
Nick’s stomach sank. Staying overnight had felt so instantly right to him and the obvious solution to their dilemma. He had not even considered that Charlie probably had better plans in Perth. God, he needed to backpedal - fast!
“I’m so sorry, Charlie” he stammered, “I shouldn’t have assumed anything. Of course you probably need to get back to-”
He did not get to finish his sentence because Charlie placed his hands on each side of Nick’s face and smashed their lips together to stop him talking. It was a hard, deep kiss, full of intent.
“I was only joking, Nick,” Charlie said, when they finally broke apart. The smirk on his face was now replaced with a kind smile. “Staying overnight on the island does sound like a good idea, actually.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then both broke into identical grins. The moment was disturbed by another loud rumble from Nick’s stomach.
“We really should get you some food first though!” Charlie laughed, giving Nick’s tummy another pat.
Nick ducked his head shyly, feeling his face blush - gosh, he was so down for this boy! Now that the anxiety of the departing ferry had vanished, and they had agreed to spend the night on the island it suddenly occurred to him that he would be staying here with Charlie and a flurry of anxious questions crowded into his brain. Did that mean Charlie would want to stay stay with him? Would they need two rooms or one room? Would they need one bed or two? He had really not thought this through at all!
Once again Charlie seemed to pick up that his brain was working double time and quickly moved to reassure him, taking his hand and running his thumb over the back of Nick’s hand.
“How about we pack this stuff up and head straight back to town, yeah?” Charlie said. “We can find a room somewhere, return the bikes and get something to eat - and then we can have a talk about all those questions you seem to have swirling around in your head!”
Nick was so relieved he threw his arms around Charlie’s shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. It felt so wonderful to have met and kissed such an attractive man - but to also have that same man be so considerate of his feelings and worries was new for Nick - he felt cared for. It was a lovely feeling.
They rode back at a brisk pace, having agreed they wanted to get to town as quickly as possible so they could watch the sunset together. Nick’s undeclared reason for hurrying was that it suddenly occurred to him that earlier Charlie had said ‘find a room’ - as in a singular room - and the thought of spending the night with Charlie was giving his legs extra pedal power.
They arrived at the town just after seven o’clock, just in time to watch the ferry disappearing into the distance.
There were not many accommodation places on the island, so it didn’t take long to find somewhere to stay. Charlie tasked Nick with returning their bikes and ordering them fish and chips, while he took care of booking their room.
“Is one room okay, Nick?” he asked earnestly, while passing Nick his bicycle.
“One room is perfect, Charlie.” Nick replied, placing a light kiss on Charlie’s forehead, feeling an overwhelming mix of joy, anticipation and relief.
A short time later they were back on the beach, Charlie cuddled up in Nick’s lap, pressed close against his chest. They were waiting for the sunset to arrive and watching the quokka colony come to life. Even though there were plenty of quokkas active during the day, they were actually nocturnal animals and now it seemed as if there were hundreds of them hopping around the rocks and bushes close to the beach.
Nick sank his head into Charlie’s curls.
“Thank you, Charlie,” he breathed into his hair.
“What for?” Charlie asked, turning around to look at Nick’s face.
“For being you,” Nick sighed. “For making this day so amazing, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it, as long as I live.”
“You really are a massive sap, aren’t you?” Charlie smiled.
“I really am,” Nick laughed. “Just wait until you meet my friends back home, they all call me a golden retriever!”
Nick froze, realising what he had just said. They had not talked at all about what would happen after their trip to Rottnest Island was over. He had no idea if Charlie would want to see him again when they returned to London, although he hoped that he would with all his heart.
Charlie shuffled around in his lap so that their faces were close together, wrapping his legs around Nick’s waist.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” he whispered, closing the distance between their lips.
Nick’s smile went so wide that Charlie ended up kissing his teeth, causing them both to break into giggles as they hugged each other tightly. Over Charlie’s shoulder, Nick could see the sky was transforming.
“Char, it’s starting!” he said excitedly, unlocking Charlie’s legs and swinging him back around so they were both facing towards the sea.
The sky was ablaze with blues, pinks, oranges and reds with the sun itself reflecting a yellow line across the water.
It was stunning.
“We need to take a photo of our first sunset together!” Charlie said excitedly, reaching for his phone.
Nick’s romantic heart, already touched by the beautiful sunset, burst into flame hearing Charlie say the word ‘first’. Their first sunset. Hopefully the first of many.
Nick pulled his phone out too and they took photo after photo - of the sunset itself, them smiling cheesily in front of the sunset, kissing in front of the sunset, the quokkas in front of the sunset, and they even managed to get a photo of themselves kissing with a quokka visible behind them. This last one was Nick’s favourite.
As the last colours of the sunset disappeared, Charlie suddenly realised he hadn’t let his brother know about his change in plans yet.
While Charlie was typing, Nick took the opportunity to send another message to his mum. He chose a selection of his favourite photos from the day, adding his favourite from the sunset pictures last.
In this last photo he added the caption “Mum, meet Charlie! 🥰”
