Kaleidoscope (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Low-Key

Nick got to the coach early, stowing his suitcase and helping the others with theirs as they got there, but really, he was just waiting for Charlie. Without Charlie, nothing felt quite real.

Finally he arrived, backpack on and pulling his suitcase along. "Hey."

"Hey."

Nick gestured at the suitcase. "Can I help you with that?" Without waiting, he bent and lifted it, tucking it into the bottom of the coach along with all the others.

"Oh, thank you," Charlie said, seeming surprised.

Turning back to him, Nick asked, "So ... you're sure about keeping it low-key?" Not having to worry about telling people would be such a relief to him, but he didn't want to forego coming out if it was going to keep Charlie from enjoying Paris.

"Yeah. We probably shouldn't sit next to each other on the coach."

Nick was crestfallen. He'd never considered keeping it that low-key. Not to sit next to Charlie all the way to Paris? Not to look at maps and go over plans and whisper and giggle and hold hands secretly? That was way more low-key than he'd considered. But he wanted to do whatever was going to make Charlie happy, and if not risking being caught meant not sitting together, then Nick guessed they wouldn't sit together.

"It could be fun, being a secret again," Charlie said.

Since they'd never really stopped being a secret, and that was all Nick's fault, Nick thought it was gallant of Charlie to try to make him feel better about it. "Yeah."

"But," Charlie added cheekily, "I bet you can't last two days without kissing me."

This idea he had that Nick was the one who did all the kissing was definitely not based in reality. All right, then. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"Maybe."

They laughed, going toward Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk to check in. On the coach, Charlie took the seat next to Isaac, and Nick, finding himself standing next to Tao, who was sitting in front of Tara and Darcy, took the open spot there. Too late, he realised he might be messing up another couple's chance to sit together. Tao certainly didn't look pleased to suddenly have Nick sitting with him.

When Elle made her way down the aisle, Nick called to her. "Do you want to sit next to Tao?"

She didn't even look at Tao, her smile seeming very strained. "No. I'm going to sit with the girls."

Dimly, Nick remembered Charlie saying something about the date having gone badly. But he could hardly say anything to Tao about it—they didn't have that kind of relationship. Nick was pretty sure Tao despised him for not coming out, which was fair.

Imogen went by with Ben behind her. She was talking a mile a minute, the way she did, and Ben looked completely bored.

When the coach pulled out, everyone started chanting "Paris! Paris! Paris!"

Fortunately, that didn't last very long. The initial excitement of departure faded before too long and everyone quieted. Nick felt unsettled; he wished he was sitting next to Charlie, and he kind of wished he hadn't agreed to go low-key. He should just come out.

"Watch this." Tao showed Nick a movie clip on his phone, a truly amazing fight scene.

"Wow. Show me again. How do they learn how to do that?"

"Oh, months of training."

And for a while, the two of them watched videos together. Nick was relieved—Tao was so important to Charlie, and Charlie would never be happy until the two of them were some kind of friends.

Nick's phone chimed, and he saw with pleased surprise that it was his dad. "Nicholas!"

"Hi!"

"I got your messages," his dad said in French. "So you are coming to Paris? On a school trip?"

"Yeah, we're arriving today," Nick replied, also in French.

"Today! So soon. I will have to think—"

"I'm about to lose signal," Nick told him. "We're in the Eurotunnel."

"Perhaps we can meet for lunch while you are here. I will look at my schedule."

Nick smiled. Maybe this was when things turned around for them, when his dad started really caring about his life. "That'd be great. Can you text me when you're free?"

"Of course. I will see you soon!"

"Okay. Bye!"

Nick ended the call and put his phone down, turning to see Tao staring at him. "What the hell was that?"

"My dad."

"Your dad's French?"

"Yeah. He lives in Paris, so, um ... Yeah. We're going to try and meet up. I don't really see him that often, so ..." He trailed off, not sure how much detail he wanted to go into.

"Oh." Tao looked thoughtful.

"What?"

"Oh, it's just ... unexpected."

Nick wasn't sure if unexpected was good or not. Or if Tao hadn't expected him to have a father, or divorced parents, or what. And he didn't think he wanted to continue the conversation, so he didn't ask Tao to clarify.

At last they were through the tunnel and seeing signs for Paris. Nick couldn't wait to get there, to be with Charlie again. Everyone got very excited when they entered the city proper, pointing out all the landmarks to each other, staring out the windows. Nick hadn't been here for a while, and he had never been here with friends. He had certainly never been here with a boyfriend. Turning in his seat, he met Charlie's eyes and smiled. Everything was better when he was with Charlie.

He hoped the meeting with his dad worked out; he wanted his dad to meet Charlie, and he wanted to tell his dad about himself. Not just so David wouldn't tell him first, but so for once his dad would really know something about him, something important. Something beyond grades and rugby. That would be nice.