Falling (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Candy

With Nick back on the rugby pitch for practises, Charlie had time to go with Tao and Isaac after school to the corner store.

"I'm not sure I recognise you. Isaac, didn't we used to have a friend named Charlie?"

Isaac smiled and turned the page of his book.

"I know, I know, and I feel bad neglecting you. It's just that ... it's so nice to just spend time with Nick. Hanging out, playing video games, doing our homework. Boring stuff, but we're doing it together, and that makes all the difference." Charlie ducked his head shyly. It sounded silly, saying it out loud. He couldn't quite manage to get across how amazing it felt in the moment.

Tao put his hands his pockets, smiling. "You're making me feel really single right now."

Charlie tilted his head back and shouted up at the sky, "I have a boyfriend!"

"Yes, we're all fully aware."

"And he's amazing."

Tao made a face. "I mean ..."

"Tao!"

Isaac reached behind Charlie and touched Tao's arm in reproof.

"Yeah, he's okay," Tao admitted. Reluctantly.

"And ... he wants to come out." Charlie laughed. It was a little hard to believe this was his life. "To some of his friends, at least."

Tao and Isaac exchanged looks, but Charlie ignored it. Nick wanted to come out, that was the important part. How long it took him, or how he did it, didn't matter.

"Um ... I thought he wasn't speaking to the rugby lads after the fight with Harry."

"He's not, but I'm going to help him."

"Okay," Tao said doubtfully. They went inside the store and stood looking at the candy display. "Well, as long as you're both fine with it, and you're looking out for each other, I'm sure it will be fine."

Before Charlie could appreciate out loud how hard Tao was working to be okay with this major change in their lives, another voice cut in. Elle had entered the store without any of them seeing her. "Tao Xu! Are you giving Charlie relationship advice?"

"Ah! Rude!" Tao exclaimed. Then, in his normal voice, he said, "I know about relationships. I watch a lot of romance movies, so ..."

"Mm." Elle moved past them, her expression making it clear she wasn't buying Tao's romantic expertise.

Tao followed her, and Isaac and Charlie exchanged looks. If anyone needed relationship advice, it was the two of them, who appeared to be the only people who couldn't see the sparks between them.

The next thing they saw was Tao hurrying out of the store while Elle called his name. Both Charlie and Isaac sighed and shrugged. Not today, apparently.

Charlie's eyes were drawn to an Oreo chocolate bar. Nick's favourite, if memory served. Their two-month anniversary was almost here. Maybe he should ... He picked the chocolate bar up, then put it back down. Then he picked it up again, studied it a moment, and decided to buy it. Maybe Nick would think it was silly, but this was something Charlie could do for him, to pay Nick back for all the amazing things he did for Charlie all the time.

*****

Charlie glanced at his phone, read latest adorable text from Nick, smiled, and then firmly put it down. He was going to finish at least one item of homework tonight.

And he tried to focus. He really did. But he kept remembering the way Nick looked just before he kissed him, and the way he smelled, and the way his hair felt when Charlie brushed it back off his forehead ... And who needed homework, anyway? He aced all his tests whether he studied or not. The fact was, Charlie was incredibly bored in school. Nothing they were studying interested him particularly, except the Latin, which he was up to date on, and if he really wanted to, he could bang out all the work in an hour and get better grades on it than most kids did after spending hours studying.

Nick, for example. As they'd spent more time together, Charlie had begun to understand that academics didn't come as easily even to someone as intelligent as Nick was as they did to him or to his friends. And that didn't seem fair to him. Nick had so much to offer—why should he feel badly about himself because he wasn't good at taking tests? When in the real world did you ever have to sit down in front of a piece of paper and answer a bunch of questions that weren't relevant, anyway?

Charlie had spent a lifetime being told by his parents and his teachers that being smart would get you anywhere you wanted to go. Well, he was smart. He was very smart. And so far, it hadn't gotten him anywhere. Being smart hadn't kept him from being bullied. It didn't make his parents proud of him—anything he did seemed just barely good enough, and his mother always set another goal for him as soon as he reached one.

He opened up the document for his history essay, typing a few sentences half-heartedly. But the truth was, he didn't want to do it. What he wanted to do was lie here on his bed and text Nick, and think about Nick, and just be happy.

His mother wouldn't like that, but she wasn't here. Only Charlie was here in this room, lying on this bed, and he was in control of what he was going to do with the rest of his night. No one else. It was a lovely feeling, and all too rare. So what if he was already behind? He could catch up whenever he wanted to.

"hi boyfriend", he texted, and grinned when the answering "hi" popped up in mere moments, followed by a string of hearts.

Yes. Schoolwork could definitely wait.