Kaleidoscope (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Milkshakes

Nick had intended to meet Charlie at the milkshake café, but the more he thought about it, the less that seemed right. This was a date, their first, and when you took someone on a date you picked them up. At least, that's how Nick thought it should go. He hurried to catch Charlie at his house before he left, and arrived just as Charlie was putting his coat on. "Oh, good, you haven't left yet," he said with relief when Charlie opened the door.

Charlie's eyes went wide, like he was worried something had gone wrong.

"I just thought, um ..." Nick cleared his throat. "Since this is a date, I thought maybe I should pick you up instead of meeting you there." He looked up at Charlie. "That's probably silly."

"No! No, not at all." Charlie picked up his bag and met Nick on the doorstep. "I like it." They walked together to the gate and Charlie looked Nick up and down. "Is that what you're wearing?"

Nick panicked. "Why? What's wrong with it? Oh, no. Should I have ... dressed up?" Charlie laughed and squeezed his hand, and Nick shook his head, frowning, as he realised Charlie had been messing with him again. "Oi. You're terrible."

"You look great," Charlie said. "You always do."

Nick blushed. "So do you." Charlie was in full school uniform, but Nick thought he looked adorable that way anyway.

Darcy and Tara were waiting for them when they arrived. Immediately, Darcy put an arm round Charlie's shoulders. "How are you, my guy?" She smiled at him. "See, I told you you looked coupley before."

"And you were right, apparently," Charlie said, somewhat awkwardly, glancing at Nick to make sure it was okay. Which it was. Darcy was very different from most of the people Nick knew, but he liked how open she was.

"She always is." Tara shook her head but smiled fondly at her girlfriend. "It's very annoying."

Darcy giggled.

Elle arrived, and it was the five of them for a bit before Tao got there, too. Elle went to meet him, and the rest of them put their heads together.

"So how do we do this?" Nick asked. He was surprised how into this matchmaking thing he was.

"Just play it cool," Tara told him. "Elle's afraid of messing up their friendship."

Charlie nodded. "So is Tao."

Tao and Elle came and joined them. Nick had wondered how it would go, and been afraid it would be awkward, but it was nice. Tao felt he was being dragged to the concert against his will, bribed with milkshakes, and his rapid-fire series of questions about what he was going to be forced to sit through kept everyone laughing.

"Why'd you agree to come if you thought it'd be boring?" Charlie demanded.

"Because I'm a very nice and supportive friend, obviously."

"No," Elle corrected, "he came for the milkshakes and the milkshakes only."

"I said that to you in confidence!"

"So how did you two become friends?" Darcy asked them.

"I was friends with Charlie first and then Tao came along as a package deal," Elle answered.

Tao's jaw dropped in mock outrage. "Rude! You're lucky to have me."

"You make a cute little pair," Darcy said, which effectively stopped the laughter at the table.

Tao drained the last of his milkshake, ignoring the comment. "So, we're ordering a second round, right?"

That got complete agreement. Nick got up, offering up himself and Charlie to go and collect the new milkshakes. They were sitting across from each other, which was fine, but if this was a date, Nick wanted some time alone together, too. They collected the orders and went to wait while they were being made.