heartstopper oneshots!

thunderstorm

Nick Nelson wasn't someone you would think would be afraid of much. He tackled his opponents in rugby like it was nothing, he could go on the scariest rollercoaster in a theme park without an ounce of fear. But, there was one fear Nick had that only one person knew about. It made him feel embarrassed, silly, weak, but most of all, terrified. Only Charlie knew that Nick was deathly afraid of thunder.

Thunder made Nick think of so many things that could go terribly wrong: a flood, a tree falling on him or his house, getting struck by lightning, all sorts of unlikely but unsettling things. He felt stupid for having what he felt was a childish fear, and he dreaded whenever a storm would come, because he really couldn't hide his anxiety.

Nick lay in bed wide awake, next to Charlie who was fast asleep, tucked under the covers and breathing softly. Thunder roared in the distance, every once in a while a lighting bolt would create a flash that lit up his bedroom for a split second. He was trembling, sweaty but cold at the same time. Calm down Nick, he told himself. It's just a thunderstorm. Stop being so childish.

It was no use when the thunder suddenly sounded much closer and much, much louder. A huge, extremely loud boom resonated throughout the sky, and Nick jolted with fear, waking Charlie.

When Charlie noticed the storm that he had been sleeping so heavily though, he looked over to find his boyfriend frowning, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Come here." Charlie scooted over to embrace Nick and squeezed him tight, planting a light kiss on the top of his head. "Aww, babe, you're all clammy, and you're shaking. Why didn't you wake me up before you got so upset?" he cooed, feeling guilty for sleeping through the storm and not comforting Nick before he was consumed by anxiety.

"Because it's stupid," Nick mumbled, his head tucked into Charlie's shoulder. "I didn't wanna wake you up just because I have a dumb fear."

"No, Nick, don't say that. It's not dumb." He rubbed Nick's back gently to try and calm him down, when he chuckled lightly. "Babe, you're forgetting who you're talking to. I'm scared of pretty much anything that moves." He thought this would cheer up his boyfriend, but he only got a deep, shaky breath in response. "It's ok, love. Just breathe."

Nick tried to slow his breath for a few moments, and Charlie thought he might finally be calming down, until a bright flash illuminated the room, almost instantly followed by the loudest clap of thunder yet.

Nick grabbed onto Charlie tightly, letting out a small cry into his shoulder. His breathing was heavy and fast again and he was shaking profusely.

"Shhhh, Nick, you're okay," Charlie whispered, rubbing his back and hugging him firmly. "You're good, baby. We're okay. I've got you." He planted another kiss on the taller boy's head and ran his fingers through his hair slowly.

"Hey, hun, do you know what it means when the thunder gets that loud?" Charlie asked, looking down at his boyfriend.

"What?" Nick mumbled breathlessly.

"That the storm is passing over us, so it's only going to get quieter from now on. You're already through the worst part, love. I'm proud of you."

Nick whined. "This is so embarrassing. I'm really sorry. I wish I hadn't woken you up." He looked up sadly at his boyfriend who gave a reassuring grin in response.

"Don't say sorry, Nicky. You calm me down when I'm anxious, so it's my job to do the same for you. It doesn't matter why, okay?"

Nick sighed and reluctantly echoed, "Okay." His breathing was starting to slow and he was shaking less, but he was still very cold.

"Here, let me get you a jumper." Charlie let go of his boyfriend and stood up to pull one of Nick's favorite hooded sweatshirts out of his closet. He helped Nick sit up and put the jumper on, and tucked him back into the covers as they resumed their embrace.

"Thank you, Char. I don't know what I would do without you," he smiled softly, visibly calmer. "I love you so much."

Charlie smiled and planted a kiss on Nick's lips. "I love you too, Nicholas.  So much." Nick closed his eyes as the thunder became merely a soft rolling sound in the distance. Slowly but surely, Charlie could tell that the boy had fallen asleep, his breaths were long and heavy, his muscles were much more relaxed. He felt sad that Nick had been so scared, but was glad that Nick woke him so he could be awake, not only to help him, but to witness just how beautiful his boyfriend was when he was finally calm and comfortable. With a smile on his face, Charlie softly whispered, "I love you" and drifted off to sleep, his wonderful love still in his arms.

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hope you liked this!! x sophie