Falling (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Awkward

After a while, there was a soft knock on the door of the infirmary. Charlie looked up, expecting it to be Coach Singh, but it was Nick. "Hey."

"Hey," Charlie said back, but his initial happiness to see him was quickly replaced by embarrassment and guilt. He'd been doing the wrong things all day. Nick must be so annoyed with him.

Nick came into the room, closing the door behind him. "Is your nose okay?"

"I don't know." He was still holding the tissue to it, although the throbbing pain had eased.

"Let me see." Nick sat down next to him, taking the tissue away and looking him over carefully. "It looks fine."

Charlie smiled. Nick couldn't be too mad about the day, not if he was here. "Cool."

"You've got some mud on your face, though."

Before Charlie could point out that both of them were covered in mud, Nick had reached for another tissue and was gently wiping mud off Charlie's cheek.

He couldn't remember when he'd felt more cared for. Or deserved it less.

Looking down at his hands, Charlie began, "Um, sorry ..."

"What?"

"I'm really sorry for being all clingy and annoying. I'm making this so awkward. You wanted to keep us a secret and I'm messing it up."

Nick looked up at the ceiling as though Charlie was still being annoying, but when he dropped his head again so Charlie could see his face, he didn't seem annoyed. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry," he said. Charlie had no idea what Nick thought he had to be sorry about, and he never got to find out, because just then the door opened. Both of them jumped and turned to look.

Isaac stood there, frozen, staring back at them. Well, if he hadn't known before, he certainly did now, Charlie thought. They were sitting so close together, and no doubt both of them looked as startled as Charlie felt.

"Uh ... sorry," Isaac said, stepping further into the room, "for, um ... interrupting, but Ms. Singh asked me to give you some antiseptic wipes." He put them down and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Nick stood up. Charlie was terrified that he was going to just break things off right then and there, deciding this was all more trouble than it was worth, but all he said was, "Um ... I'd better go."

"Okay." As Nick reached the door, Charlie called after him, "Isaac won't say anything."

"Yeah. Okay." And he was gone, leaving Charlie to wait there alone until Coach Singh came to get him, declaring that he'd be fine.

"That was a nice try at the tackle, Charlie. Anyone else, and you'd have taken him down." She hesitated. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." He wished he was proud of himself, but mostly he just felt worried that he had completely messed things up with Nick.

Tao and Elle and Isaac were waiting for him when he came out. Tao and Elle both seemed strange, but Charlie couldn't pay attention to them. He just wanted to get home and text Nick and apologise.

Which he did. A lot.

Until finally Nick texted back "It's okay. Really." "Can we talk tomorrow? Maybe after school?"

"yeah, of course"

But there was no 'of course' about it. Nick was going to break up with him. Charlie could feel it.

His phone pinged and he picked it up, his heart leaping, hoping it was Nick, but it was Tao. "Did today show you that hanging out with those rugby boys will only get you hurt?"