Kaleidoscope (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

MarioKart

Wednesday's rugby practise was rained out, so Charlie came over to Nick's house in the afternoon to do their homework together. At least, that's why they said he was coming over. Nick, however, wasn't particularly interested in homework. He was interested in being alone with Charlie for the first time since the weekend. Holding hands in the art room, exchanging private smiles in the corridors, sitting next to Charlie in form and feeling his breath come short and his heart pound just from being near him ... none of it had been enough.

Nick waited impatiently while Charlie hung up his coat, then took his hand and pulled him upstairs to his room. Closing the door behind them, he turned to Charlie, the question all but asking itself. "Charlie. Can I—can I kiss you?"

The look on Charlie's face as he nodded said he had been thinking as much about this as Nick had. Closing the distance between them, Nick hesitated just a moment before finding Charlie's mouth with his. Charlie's arms wrapped eagerly around him, his hands clutching the fabric of Nick's shirt, keeping Nick close to him.

At last they broke apart. Nick smiled, saying breathlessly, "I've been thinking about that all week."

Charlie's smile answered his, his eyes dancing. "You big dork."

"Oh? Like you haven't been? Well, I suppose if you're not interested ..."

But Charlie's arms stopped him from pulling away, just as he had hoped they would, and this time Charlie kissed him, up on his toes, one arm around Nick's neck.

The first time Nick had been so nervous; the second time he had been on the verge of tears; the third time had been in the rain, on the street. This time he was sure of himself and of Charlie, and they were completely alone. And it was exactly right.

At least, until a soft sound at the door startled both of them.

Nick lifted his head. "She's not going to go away, not when her favourite person is in here." He reluctantly disentangled himself from Charlie's arms and went to let Nellie in.

"She sees you all the time."

As he opened the door for Nellie, Nick looked at Charlie. "I meant you. You've bewitched my dog." Not just the dog. Nick couldn't quite believe this was really happening, that Charlie was here, and they were together, and it felt so much like the way things should be.

Once she'd had her fill of pets, Nellie jumped up on Nick's bed and curled up for a nap.

Nick sighed. "I suppose we should actually do our homework now."

Charlie agreed, and they stretched out on Nick's floor and got to work. Or, rather, Charlie got to work. Nick would do a little bit, and then think of something that happened that he'd been waiting to tell Charlie about, and they'd get distracted talking until eventually one of them would remember they needed to get work done. It felt so comfortable to be with Charlie, to know that when Nick said something, Charlie would drop what he was doing and listen, like he really wanted to hear whatever it was. No one else did that, not even Nick's mum, and he'd gotten so used to keeping everything to himself, both important and unimportant. But now he didn't have to do that. It felt like there had always been words gathering at the back of Nick's tongue, waiting to be set free, and Charlie gave the words life and sound.

And the way Charlie looked at him when he talked made him want to skip the homework altogether.

"At this rate, it would go faster if you let me do both of our work and you practised at MarioKart so maybe one day you can beat me." Charlie grinned impishly at him.

"If you insist on being cute, I'm going to have to kiss you again, and we won't get anything done," Nick warned him. He was surprised how easy and natural it felt to be flirting with and teasing Charlie just as if that was normal. Well, for Charlie, he reminded himself, it was.

"Shut up!" Charlie ducked his head, looking like no one had ever told him he was cute before. Maybe they never had. Which was a shame.

Nick smiled at him. "Oh, did I say that? Must have just slipped out." He forced himself to dig his maths homework out of his bag rather than kiss Charlie again, which was what he really wanted to do.

They turned back to their homework, and Nick tried to concentrate. Halfway through his maths, he found his thoughts wandering, watching Charlie work. He looked different when he was absorbed in his studies, so focused and serious.

Charlie looked up at him. "What?"

Nick hastily turned back to his work. "Nothing."

"Finish your homework so we can play MarioKart."

"You mean, so you can beat me. Again," Nick grumbled, but he started working the next problem.

Once Nick had finally pushed his way through the rest of his maths homework, they gladly put their work aside and got ready for another round of MarioKart.

Nick nudged Charlie in the side. "Charlie."

"Hm?"

"If you let me win, I'll kiss you."

The grin that spread across Charlie's face was utterly adorable, as was the impish look in his eye. "That would be a generous offer if I didn't know what I know."

"And what is that?"

"That you'll kiss me anyway."

"Probably. Charlie ..." It was a breathless whisper; Nick couldn't stop looking at his mouth. "May I?"

"You don't have to ask, you know."

"Don't I?"

"No." It was another breathless whisper even as their lips met.

They never did get around to MarioKart.