Through the eyes of you - a Heartstopper fanfic

The photo booth incident

This chapter will be from both Nick and Charlie's pov.

Nicks pov:
"Kiss me" the words left my mouth and I swear we stayed frozen for a thousand years. Finally the shutter of the camera snaps me back to reality in time to feel his lips crash onto mine. His kiss is rushed at first. A rough peck on my lips as he quickly backs away. His eyes glisten and flutter open as he shyly looks up at me. I say nothing too stunned that he actually kissed me. Charlie might actually like me. Inside I'm screaming. The little boy in me is jumping for joy that I finally feel like my true self. On the outside I'm frozen from the lingering feeling of his lips on mine. I stayed quiet for a minute too long. "I'm so sorry" he says climbing of my lap. He reaches for the curtain and starts to pull it back. "Char! Stop!" I grip his sweatshirt pulling him back down on my lap. I chuckle to myself remembering that he's wearing my sweatshirt. He up looks at me tears starting to form in his eyes. I reach my hand up running my thumb over his cheek. I don't know what to say so I just lean forward connecting my lips to his. My hand moves to his hood pulling him closer. He shifts his weight so that he's fully sitting on my lap again. "Nick" he softly says breaking the kiss. He looks in my eyes with questioning desire. "But aren't you.." he plays with the hem of my shirt. "Later" I say breathless. "Just kiss me Char" "please." Desperation fills my eyes and my whole being. I've never needed anyone this badly. Kissing him has released a side of me I never knew needed out. He smirks and nods leaning back in to finish what I started. His kiss is soft and slow. He reaches up and runs his hands through my hair causing my heart to drop into my stomach. I could kiss him forever. I respond by griping him tighter just hoping he can feel everything I want to say. He deepens the kiss by pressing his lips harder against mine. Breathless I pull away. Locking eyes with him, "char, I.. we..."

Charlie's POV:

"I knew you were cheating on me. How could I be so stupid!!!" Ben pulls the curtain back. He's griping the pictures from the photo booth. The last picture shows the moment Nick and I's lips locked. He turns to walk away and I jump off Nicks lap. "Ben wait, it just happened" I yell. "Are you that fucking stupid to think I would believe this just happened" he's pacing again. He's upset, and he has every right to be. What was I thinking. I just cheated on Ben. I've loved him for 2 years. Nick steps out of the booth and loops his hand in mine. "He deserves someone who will treat him right" Nick spit in anger. "Stop" I whisper. "Please" Nick releases my hand and takes a step back. I approach Ben softly. I reach up brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "Let's go home. We obviously need to talk." I say out of breath. My whole world is crashing down around me. I'm standing in a carnival in the middle of my first love and my current love. I don't know when I fell out of love with Ben and started to fall for Nick. But boy have I gotten myself in a mess. Ben nods his head and takes off walking towards the cars. Nick approaches me "let's go to mine." He says more as a question than a statement. "I have to go home" I sigh. "We need to talk, but not until I talk to Ben first." I give him a reassuring smile. "Then I'm coming with you, I don't trust him." His face softens. "He would never hurt me okay?" "I'll call you". I turn and walk towards Ben's car. He's pulls up right in front of the exit. I get in, not looking back at Nick. Ben rolls down the window and yells out to Nick "you better watch yourself" as he speeds away.

The car ride is silent on the way home. Ben's hurt and he has every right to be. The crumpled pictures of Nick and I lay in the cup holder. As we approach the house, I grab the pictures, slipping them into my jacket pocket. My jacket! realization hits me that I'm still wearing Nick's jacket. I get out the car and head in first. Ben push's past me. He walks up the stairs and slams our bedroom door. I finish slipping off my shoes and set my phone down on the table. The last thing I need is Nick texting me in the middle of this conversation. I tip toe up the stairs and slowly open the door. Ben is on the bed. His eyes are red and there's tissues on the floor around him. "I know I'm a shitty boyfriend, but you couldn't have broken up with me first?" He spits out in anger. "It just happened." I sit down softy on the bed next to him. "Oh come on Charlie." He rolls his eyes. "I seen the way you looked at him the other night." His voice breaks. "Your literally wearing his clothes right now, aren't you?" I stay silent no knowing how to respond. "How long?" The words fall out of his mouth. I take a second to think before answering. "I don't know." I groan. "He straight you know. He just broke up with his girlfriend a few weeks ago. Your just a rebound!" He raises his voice this time. "No one else is going to love you the way I do" he stands up full on telling now. "Like you ever loved me." I mumble. "What did you just say" anger is pouring from his voice. I stand up yelling "you've never loved me, you've hid me for two years Ben! Two years I've waited for you to be ready. Two years I've been a secret!" Tears are running down my face and my vision is blurred. Ben sits back down on the bed and drops his head into his hands. "I'm sorry" he chokes. "You know I love you, but I'm not okay with being Gay. You have no idea what it's like to be in the military and be Gay. All I hear is comments every day that are homophobic" he sniffs. "I know but it's not just that" I sit down next to him shaking my head. "You treat me like crap. You can't even pick me up from school because your too busy doing whatever else is more important" anger is starting to take over. "Your important to me" he mumbles. I stand back up yelling again. Anger is flowing through my body "you were so busy watching a stupid movie that you couldn't even pick me up from school." "Or did you forget why we are in this mess in the first place!" I yell. The tears return stronger than before. I'm shaking now. "Are you really blaming me for you kissing Nick?" He screeches. I steady my voice before speaking "no. I'm blaming you for being toxic, for being manipulative and for not giving a crap about my feelings. Ever." "How did you even find me anyway?" "I looked at your snap maps." He sighs. "I was going to apologize for over reacting funny enough." That's before I found you kissing another man". "I don't know what to say" I whisper. The anger in leaving my body and sorrow fills it's place. He reaches his hand up cupping my cheek. "Please Charlie, don't leave me. I love you." He voice breaks again tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm done Ben." "We are done" "I'll stay at Elle's tonight and get my stuff tomorrow when your gone for training". I push his hand off my cheek and turn to walk out the door. "He's never going to love someone as pathetic as you, you know." He spits anger flowing from his body. "You did" I answer back. I close the door and hear glass shatter in the room. I can only assume he threw our picture against the wall. It was a picture from the first time we kissed. I walk down stairs and put my shoes back on. I grab my phone off the table to see 7 missed calls and 12 texts from Nick. I shove it in my pocket and walk out the door. I stand there stunned. Nicks car is parked out front and he's standing outside by it. I run over to him. He sniffs. His eyes are bright red and his cheeks are tear stained. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me." He huffs.

Authors note: hey guys! The feedback I'm getting is amazing. I love reading all of your comments. Please keep in mind that my story does not follow the traditional Heartstopper story line. Ben is still not a good person but not to the extent that he is in the comics. In my story he truly does love Charlie but due to years of internalized homophobia from his military father and following in his footsteps, he doesn't know how to show it. He acts out due to an internal hatred of himself. There's two sides to him battling inside. He has a lot more to him than just being some jerk. I did this to add depth to my story and also show a different side of struggling to accept
Who you are. Some people accept it easily, while others struggle. I want to show both sides. Anyway. Stay turned for the next chapter! This story is far from over! I'm just getting started. 🤭