heartstopper one shots

colours of you (pt.1)

tw!! homophobia and slurs! keep yourself safe :)
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-2015-

charlie was eight when he realized that he liked other boys. he didn't think much of it at the time, honestly. it was something he had always felt, he just didn't really notice until he was eight. one day, though, he met thomas. thomas was new at his primary school and charlie was desperate to know him as soon as he spotted him at recess. charlie was a nervous kid, he always had been, but, that day, he gathered everything he had to go and speak to thomas. "hi," charlie said quietly, to the new boy who was sitting alone. thomas jumped, looking up at charlie and charlie was taken aback by the boy's brown eyes that shone like gold in the sun. "hi," thomas said back, his tone almost as nervous as charlie's. "i'm charlie spring...like the season," charlie smiled a toothy smile, sticking a hand out for thomas to shake. thomas looked at his hand for a second before taking it in his own, "thomas. calmacus."

"do you want to hang out?" charlie asked, sitting on the ground beside his new acquaintance, "we can play on the swings or something?" thomas shook his head silently, watching as the other children ran and played with each other. charlie didn't mind sitting and talking or even not talking. he always preferred quiet activities, so he just sat with thomas, watching everyone around him.

it was a while before thomas spoke again, "we just moved here." thomas was quiet for a second before he spoke again, "my mum and dad don't love each other anymore. my mum and i moved here to 'get away' from everything." he makes quotes with his fingers. "i didn't want to get away. i wanted to stay home with her and dad and grandma but she made me move here and now i can never see my friends again." charlie looks over to see tears welling in thomas' eyes. he reaches over, silently patting his new friend on his back while thomas tries to compose himself. after another minute, charlie finally speaks, "i'm sorry you don't want to be here. but i'm glad you are."

from that point on, charlie and thomas were great friends. charlie introduced thomas to his best friend, tao, and they all ate lunch together every day, even though none of them had any classes together. they often had "play dates" at each other's houses. thomas didn't like his mum very much, but charlie thought ginger was very nice. thomas mostly liked to go to charlie's or tao's. "i needed to get away from her," thomas would always say, if charlie asked why they didn't go to his. charlie got upset with his mum sometimes, so he understood how it could be.

-2017-

the boys were as close as they could be for nearly three years. they were all going into their last year of primary school after summer break and they were going into the same class. charlie could not have been more excited. in fact, he was often excited when he got to see thomas. he found his thoughts drifting to his friends' deep brown eyes and tanned skin. he thought about his dark brown hair and his smile and his laugh. charlie tried not to think about his friend like that, but he couldn't help it.

it had been four years since charlie realized he was gay and he was ready to tell his friends. he wanted to tell tao and thomas before anyone else. one nice summer day, the trio were hanging out at tao's and they had just finished a round of some racing game. charlie cleared his throat, pausing the game. the room went silent as both tao and thomas looked at charlie curiously. "i wanted to tell you guys something. before anyone else," charlie could feel his heart beating in his chest. "what is it?" tao immediately looked concerned. charlie scoots further down the bed to where his two friends are sitting, crossing his legs.

"i-i," charlie stutters, his words stuck in his throat. he had practiced saying it in the mirror this morning. "i'm gay. i'm gay. i'm gay," he has said over and over this morning, nodding each time. it seemed now, though, that his practice had been in vain. he took a deep breath before trying again, attempting to ignore his friends' worried looks. "i am g-gay," charlie stumbles over his words again but he recovers, "i like boys." tao immediately leapt forward to hug charlie, "thank you for telling us." charlie smiled, hugging tao back tightly. when they parted, thomas was silent and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. tao gave him a sharp look before thomas forced a shaky smile. charlie smiled back softly and no words were exchanged between them before thomas turned around and unpaused the game. the boys played and tried to ignore the awkward silence that filled tao's room, only slightly alleviated by the video game sounds coming from the television.