Holding you like this

First Day Back

A certain dark haired boy in Year 10 was walking through the halls with a smile as his phone vibrated in his pocket of his hunter green jacket. He pulled it out, looking at the message which was from his boyfriend Ben Hope under the message of 'Can't wait to see you x' His smile lit up further as he walked in and through the doors. When he was in year 9, mostly everyone found out he was gay. Charlie doesn't know how they found this out, considering Charlie was closeted to everyone but his tight friend group, but that's the least of his problems. He gets pushed into the lockers, taunted, and called slurs to his face. There's worse, but he tries hard to pretend like he's somewhere else when those happen. For one whole year, Charlie wishes he didn't exist. No one says hi to him at all anymore, because no one can stand to look at his fucking face.

He made his way to the library as he heard Headmaster Barnes over the tannoy "Happy New Year Truham Boys. Uh, don't forgot there'll be now students from all school years in your new form groups. I hope you enjoy getting to know some fresh faces in registration each day." He walked out to go to tutor as Mr Lange greeted him  "If it isn't Charlie Spring, Happy New year." He looked over the seating plan "Hi sir." "Come to join the Hamlet House?" "Apparently so," "Let's see, where did I put you on the seating plan? Ah, yes, you're over there, next to Nicholas Nelson. He's in Year 11, so only one year older than you. One of the rugby boys too, I think. I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly or you can sit in silence for the rest of the year. It doesn't really affect me in any way whatsoever."

Charlie groaned, making his way over to the dark blonde haired boy, taking off his jacket, placing it on the back of his chair, facing him. Nick looked back at him "Hi," "Hi," Charlie suddenly felt sudden butterflies swarming in his stomach. They stare at each other. There's something hesitant between them Charlie can't quite make out, but when he opens his mouth to figure out what it is — "All right, then," Mr. Lange says, and the conversation stops before it's even begun. Once Charlie and Nick start saying hi to each other, it's like they never stop. Whether it's when they pass by each other in the hallways, or sitting next to each other at form, or anywhere else where they manage to make eye contact, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson are apparently destined to greet each other with the one word answer, Hi.

It all started at Harry's 16th birthday party. Charlie was struggling to find his new best friend "Hey, I was looking for you." They both said together, holding onto each other's arms. Nick got them both drinks, walking into a room while talking as Harry Greene came in "Nicholas!" "Alright." "Why are you hanging out in here? It's a bit boring?" "We just are." He sat next to him "I have some news for you. Tara Jones is here." "So what?"  Nick said quietly, suddenly discovering feelings for the boy next to him, looking over at the boy he always hated because he chucked stuff at people, Harry Greene, as the two talked.

Whilst, Nick was talking to the girl he kissed when he was 13, Tara. Charlie got up, walking away. After he finished talking to her, he turned, finding him not there. He looked around for him "Hey, look who's by himself. Nick! Where you going?" "I'm going to go find Charlie." "What, that nerdy little Year 10? Why do you even hang out with him?" "He's my friend." "But why? Do you feel sorry for him because he's gay?" The other boys laughed "What?" "Oh my god, no, wait, wait. Do you think he has a crush on you?" The lot laughed "How sad." "That's homophobic, Harry." "Come on, mate." "And I really don't like you." He walked away "Happy birthday." He sneered, going to find Charlie after being interrupted by Imogen and found Charlie, where he was sitting on one of the comfortable sofas on his own.

 He smiled and sat next to him "Hi," "Hi." "You left?" "Sorry, I felt like I was in the way, and your Year 11 friends are kind of intimidating." "Yeah. I don't know if I want to hang out with those guys anymore. I'd rather hang out with you, anyway." "So I just ran into Ben." "Ben?" "Yeah. I mean, I dealt with it. He tried to apologise for what happened, but I pushed him into a wall and told him to go away. I think he got the message this time." "I'm so proud." Nick smiled, placing his hand on top of his "Shut up." He blushed "It's kind of noisy in here, isn't it?" "Yeah." "Shall we go somewhere quieter?" "Okay." The two got up, grabbing each other's hands, running upstairs together, down the halls until they found a room "Woah." Charlie closed the door, sitting against the wall together. 

Charlie caught his breath "So, was Harry being serious? Do you like Tara?" "What? No, definitely not." "Uh.. So you don't a crush on anyone at the moment?" "Well, I didn't say that." "Oh. What's she like then?" "You're just going to assume they're a she?" "Are they not a girl?" "Um." "Would you go out with someone that wasn't a girl?" "I don't know." Charlie placed his hand on the floorboards below him right next to Nick's hand "Maybe." Charlie moved his feet closer to Nick's which they almost touched "Would you kiss someone that wasn't a girl?" "I don't know." Charlie placed his little finger on top of his "Would you kiss me?" He asked, looking down at their hands "Yeah." They both leaned in and their lips touched for the very first time. They pulled away, looking at each other.

Nick grabbed his hand properly as Charlie cupped his face. Their lips met and it was the most exciting thing that had happened to Nick in a while. The departure came and he felt all alone in that instance even if Charlie was in front of him with an indistinguishable look adorning his face which Nick thought suited the boy perfectly. He looked at the other and longed for more, his want to make another move stronger than ever before. Then they pulled away, looking at each other after opening their eyes "You okay?" "I.." He heard Harry's voice. Nick got up, walking back out, talking to him. 

The next day, Charlie was getting up to go to his grandmother's early that morning. While, he was brushing his teeth, noticing it was raining as he heard a knock at the door. He put his toothbrush away "Charlie, can you get the door please? It's probably the postman." Charlie's mum called to him from downstairs. He put his brush away, walking downstairs, opening the door where Nick was standing there, soaking wet "Hi." "Hey." "Let's get you inside, you're soaking wet." He grabbed his arm as he kicked off his shoes "Nick, I didn't know you were coming over." "Mum, he's picking up a jumper he left here last week." "Charlie, we're going over to Grandma's later, so you better change out of your pyjamas." He blushed, walking upstairs to his bedroom. 

When the two got upstairs and Charlie closed the door "So," "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, it was, I didn't think properly about what I was doing and I did a stupid thing. I don't want you to feel awkward about it because it was all my fault." "Charlie, hang on." Nick walked closer to him "I shouldn't have kissed you. I bet you just felt pressured to do it because I asked, and you probably don't want to talk to me again, but at least had to say sorry. See if there's a chance we can still be friends?" "Charlie.." "I don't want to lose you because I did something stupid." "Charlie.." Nick cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss, and then away to look deep into those beautiful blue eyes. The softest blue. "Um.." "God." Nick looked at the ceiling, sitting on the younger male's bed "I'm so sorry I ran away last night. I was freaking out because I was confused and surprised and like, honestly, I'm having a proper, full on gay crisis. And it's not that I didn't want you to, you know, kiss you. I just." He sighed "I was just so confused. I've just been so confused." He shakily spoke "I just think I need some time to figure this out."

Charlie wrapped an arm around him as Nick hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder. He pulled back, leaning back on him again, but this time his head was resting on his collarbone, then they fell into a comfortable silence. They clung to each other like they were oxygen and lungs like they were twin flames. Between their embrace were the words they weren't saying as they melded their mouths together in a gentle kiss. They were tied together from the moment they first said 'hi' in form.