Falling (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Good-night

Every time Charlie looked over his drum kit throughout the concert, Nick was still watching him, still smiling. It was embarrassing—he really was such a dork—but it was amazing, too. Charlie played better than he ever had in a school concert, knowing that Nick was there. To think that he'd told him not to come.

After the concert, the orchestra was expected to stay and clean up the gym, putting the instruments back in the music room. Tao and Elle went home, but Nick stayed to help out, closing up chairs and carrying the instruments back down the corridor.

Charlie met him afterward and they walked together toward the bus stop. "You didn't have to stay and help."

"I know I didn't. I wanted to." Nick smiled. "Besides, this was a date, remember? We haven't had the best part yet."

"Oh? What's that?"

"The good-night kiss at your door. Well," he added, "maybe not quite at your door." Since Charlie's parents didn't know, they couldn't exactly kiss on the doorstep. Usually they stopped a few houses down, where a handy spray of ivy over a garden wall provided some concealment.

"Oh. Good point." Charlie hadn't thought of this as that kind of date, but he was very glad Nick did.

"I thought so." Nick bumped Charlie's shoulder lightly with his.

They took the bus back to Charlie's neighborhood and walked down the street together. It was nearly dark now, and it was nice to be out together. Nick reached for Charlie's hand as they walked. "I meant what I said earlier."

"Which part?"

"I like being with you. I like it a lot." He tugged Charlie to a stop, turning to face him and looking down into his eyes. "You know that, right?"

"I ... guess so." He wanted to know it, he really did, but it still seemed so unbelievable that Nick Nelson's idea of a fun Friday night was spending it with him. Charlie added shyly, "I like being with you, too."

"Good." Nick smiled. "Was it a nice first date?"

"Yes, definitely. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For ... everything. For setting this up, and for ... for telling Elle. That was—" Charlie couldn't stop smiling. "That was amazing."

Nick blushed and ducked his head.

"Are you— Was that okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, of course it was. I wanted to."

Charlie's smile threatened to take over his entire face. "Was it a nice first date for you, too?"

"It was. One of my favourite days ever. I'm gathering quite a collection of those since I met you," Nick said, his voice dropping, low and intimate.

"So am I." Charlie moved closer to him so that they were nearly touching. "Sometimes I still can't believe this is really happening. I didn't think it ever could, much as I wanted it to."

Nick laughed softly. "What was it Elle said about months of intense pining?"

Charlie blushed, looking into Nick's face. He was so beautiful. "I couldn't help it. You kept sending me mixed signals."

"I suppose I did. I just couldn't seem to stop looking at you."

Grasping Nick's jacket, Charlie stood up on his toes to get closer. If they didn't kiss soon, he was going to go out of his mind. "Nick."

"Charlie." Nick wrapped his arms around Charlie and kissed him. Soft and sweet at first, but then here in the darkness the kiss deepened, Nick's hands moving restlessly across Charlie's back, pulling him closer.

The kisses sent Charlie weak in the knees. Only his hands clutching Nick's jacket and Nick's arms round him were holding him up.

At last Nick pulled away. He didn't let go just yet, though, holding on and resting his forehead against Charlie's until they both had their breathing under control. Charlie had forgotten they were technically in public, so lost in Nick's kisses.

"I should go," Charlie said at last. "My mum will be wondering where I am."

"Okay." Nick reluctantly let him go and Charlie took a shaky step back.

"Good-night."

Before his door had even closed behind him, his phone pinged with a message from Nick. "I miss you already."

Smiling, Charlie sent back a "me, too". He wondered briefly what it might be like not to have to say good-night at all.

As he got ready for bed, Charlie scrolled through his phone, seeing messages from Tara and Darcy about the triple date, analysing how it had gone from the standpoint of Elle and Tao. Nick joined in, suggesting that he didn't think they'd made any progress, but Darcy, apparently a big believer in getting people together, disagreed. Charlie wished he thought that, but Elle had seemed very annoyed.

On the group chat, Nick texted, "Thanks for the date idea, Darcy."

"yeah!! Let's do it again sometime"

Then Charlie chimed in. "it was great, definitely"

And Tara. "Anytime."

Darcy put the cap on before they all went to sleep. "let's hear it for the meddling gays!"

Charlie sent a separate message to Nick: "and the bis. Good-night!" With a heart emoji.

Then he texted Elle. "so sorry if we overstepped" "i didn't mean to put you on the spot"

"I wish you'd talked to me first."

"i didn't know. nick made all the plans with darcy and tara. i only found out last night"

"I'm so happy you two are together, and that Nick was ready to tell people. He seems really nice—and incredibly into you."

Charlie felt a grin spreading across his face. Elle didn't lie or exaggerate. If she thought that, it must be true. "really?"

"You should have seen the way he was looking at you during the concert. I'm pretty sure he didn't know anyone else was playing." "You should really tell Tao, though."

"tao can't stand nick. i don't want him to be upset"

"He'll be more upset if he finds out he's the last to know."

That was almost certainly true. Charlie should tell Tao, and soon. He just wished he knew how.

But that was tomorrow's problem. For tonight, he was going to go to bed and lie there remembering every moment of today, his magical first date.