Heartstopper stories

My Escape

(In this story, Nick's parents aren't divorced yet but they're separated. They keep giving each other chances to make it work, but it never does. Nick always hears his parents fight.)

Content warnings: talks about parents fighting.

Nick's pov

My parents are fighting again. It's nothing new, but I still can't stop hating them for it. When I was younger, I used to sit on the top of the stairs to eavesdrop on their fights. But I don't do that as much anymore. However, when I hear my Mum tell my Dad to leave and hear the door slam shut, I can't help but sprint downstairs. 

Mum's sitting at the kitchen table, crying quietly as she looks out the window. She's in her pajamas already, but I know she's not going to sleep anytime soon. She tries to smile once she notices me quietly running down the stairs. 

"I'm sorry, Nicky. Did we wake you?"

I kind of feel like a kid when she calls me that, but I know there's no ill intention in her words. She said those exact words when I was still a little kid sneaking down the stairs after one of their fights. I shake my head as I take a seat beside her.

"No, you didn't. I was still awake. Are you alright, Mum?"

She tries to smile, but I can see it starting to break as tears well up in her eyes. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently. Mum looks away from me and says, "Each time, I think he'll finally come to his senses. I think he'll finally come home and raise his sons. Be a husband." 
She looks back at me. Her voice breaks at the last word. "But he never will, will he?"

I jump up from my seat and hug my Mum tightly. She cries in my arms and I can feel my heart break. My Mum is one of the strongest women out there, I just know it. So, when she breaks down like this it only makes my heart break even further because it means this has been building up for so long, and I haven't noticed. I keep whispering that it's going to be alright. That we'll get through this. And we will. I know we will. We've done it before every time Dad left. 

I help my Mum get a cup of tea and after finishing it she leaves upstairs to get some sleep. I can't get myself to go back to bed as well. I still hear my parents' voices shout at each other. It's something that never really goes away, even if the fight is long over. That's when I got a text from Charlie.

Charlie ❤️
Hey!! You still up?

I smile once I see his text and reply.

Me
Yeah, I'm still up.
Can't really sleep. 
Actually
Do you think it would be okay if I came over?

Charlie responds quickly

Charlie ❤️
Yes, ofcc!
I'll open the back door for you

Me
Thank you ❤️

I send Mum a quick text that I will be away, quickly pack some of my things, and leave the house. It doesn't take long for me to arrive at Charlie's. I come in through the back door just as Charlie told me to and I can see him waiting for me in the kitchen. He's smiling at me, but his smile drops when he sees my red and puffy face. He immediately opens his arms and I fall in them. 

"What's wrong? What happened?" He asks quietly. I grip his shirt tightly and whisper, "My parents fought again and my Dad left, as always. I just... I can't get their voices out of my head. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could hear the tone in their voices. And the way my mother broke down crying..." 

Charlie holds me tighter and whispers sweet and reassuring words in my ear, which helps me calm down a little. He holds my hand as we go to his bedroom. Charlie closes the door behind him and looks at me again. "Are you okay?"

I nod and sit on his bed. "I am. I know I should be used to it by now, but..."
"I don't think you can ever really get used to something like that," Charlie says. "I mean, I'm not a therapist, but I think something like hearing parents fight can stick with you for a long time. When I was little, a friend of mine often had panic attacks when people started yelling because of how his parents yelled at each other."

I think about that for a moment before lying down on my back. "I'm just so done with it. I hate seeing my Mum go through all of this time and time again. Sometimes I can't help but be mad at her for it. I mean, we all know they don't work together. We all know my Dad isn't going to change. He's never going to choose us. He will always choose himself. So why would she still give him a chance when she knows how much happier we are without him?" 

I feel like I'm such a bad person for admitting that, but I can't take it back. I don't even want to.
Charlie lies down next to me and holds my hand. "I know, but you're Mum is in love. Or was in love and wants to get that feeling back. You can't blame her for how she feels. But I also know how much it hurts you, and your feelings are valid."
I grunt, not really wanting to talk about it anymore. Charlie notices. "

Maybe we should talk about something else."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Charlie thinks about it for a second before smiling. "Like how hot you looked at the rugby game a few days ago."

I laugh when I hear him say that. "You're such a flirt."
Charlie laughs with me while we lie on his bed. I shift to lie on my side and pull Charlie in my arms. We look at each other for a while. I now notice that his dark curls are a mess and I smile as I touch them. "You have a bird's nest on your head."

Charlie scoffs. "Excuse me? How rude. Do I need to remind you how you smell after one of your games?"
I have to hold back my smile to scrunch up my face. "No, you have given me a detailed description of that already, thank you."
Charlie laughs and tries to wrestle with me, but I'm way stronger than him. After a few minutes, he lays his head on my chest and I put my arms around him.

"You're my safe space, you know that?" I say. "I love everything about you. I love your smile, your voice, your hair even though it's a mess..."
"Hey!"
"...And I love how you're always there for me. You're my escape when I need one. But you're way more than that in everyday life."

Charlie smiles and puts his forehead against mine. "You're so corny."
"Maybe," I say. "But I just love you."
Charlie kisses me softly. "I love you too."

It's a short one today, but I hope you guys liked it. It's been a while since I've written one of these, but I'm going to try to write more. I've made that promise before though😅