Falling (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

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Charlie went upstairs and texted Nick. "you ok?"

"Yeah. You?"

"no. my parents caught me and now i'm grounded completely til end of term"

"Oh, no! Charlie I'm so sorry"

Charlie smiled a little at that. "you didn't do anything" "i'm the one who snuck out"

"I hate maths so much I can't wait to drop it haha" "I'm so sad you're grounded" "Wish I could see you"

Charlie sent back a sad face emoji. "why is being out so complicated" Then, a few minutes later: "are you awake?"

Nick's next text came in after Charlie had assumed he'd gone to sleep. "HEY sorry about today, I should have told him sooner tbh"

"i'm sorry, this is all my fault for coming over" He should have just left well enough alone. And he should have helped. "i should have stood up for you against your brother"

The chat went silent, and Charlie's heart fell. Nick knew. Nick knew it was all his fault, and he was too nice to say so.

Then a voice text came through. Nick's voice. Was he angry? He must be angry, if he had to say it instead of type it.

Heart pounding, Charlie pressed "play".

"Charlie, this is not your fault. I don't care what David thinks anyway. I mean, it was never going to go perfectly with everyone. Coming out to my mum was amazing, but there are still awful people in the world, like my brother, and ... like, you know, when you came out."

For the first time in a long time, Charlie could hear those mocking voices in his walls, surrounding him. He pulled the phone closer and let Nick's voice fill his ears instead.

"But I can handle it," Nick said. "I promise."

Charlie tapped out three quick hearts and sent them back. What an amazing person his boyfriend was. Charlie wished he could hug him right now, that they two could just run away together somewhere and just ... be.

The next day, Charlie went the whole day without so much as glimpsing Nick in the corridor. They texted, but it wasn't the same.

After school, Charlie went with Isaac to the store. They hadn't talked much—Isaac usually didn't—but as usual, his silent presence was comforting.

While they were there, Tao came charging in. He'd been strange all day. And his first words made it clear why. "I like Elle. Okay?" He looked terrified by the very idea.

Charlie and Isaac just stared at him.

Tao remembered to breathe, with an effort. "I said it. And don't laugh! I bet you've all been laughing behind my back because I've been so oblivious. Honestly ... Elle can do better, and she probably doesn't even like me back, and this is probably going to destroy our friendship, it's going to destroy our friendship group, and it's going to leave me devastated for years to come."

Isaac and Charlie exchanged a glance. Typical Tao—ten steps ahead, inventing problems for himself.

"So, this is a really selfish and stupid thing to do," Tao continued, "but ... I'm going to tell her. Help me!"

Charlie smiled. This was the first good thing that had happened in a long while. "You sure? Be sure."

"Oh, I am. I know it took me forever, but I really am sure."

Isaac chuckled, shaking his head and lifting his book.

"What kind of help do you need?"

"I don't know. Maybe ... how can I be good enough for her? How do I ask her out? Do I just tell her I like her? I can't believe I'm asking you this, but how did you and Nick figure it out?"

Charlie couldn't help thinking of that night at Harry's party, and that first amazing kiss, and then the second amazing kisses in his room the next day, and his smile widened. "I don't know, I guess we just ... kept wanting to be near each other." It felt weird, being the guy other people came to for relationship advice. "I think you just have to tell her, Tao. Just—be honest about how you feel."

"Honest. Right. I can do that." He looked down at Charlie in a panic. "Can I do that?"

"Yes. We'll work on it."

The three of them left the store and walked home together, Tao slowly going mad, Charlie trying to give him good advice, and Isaac occasionally interjecting profound wisdom the way he did.

At home, Charlie texted Nick: "tao likes elle"

"Well ... yeah"

"no, he said so" "he's going to tell her" "he asked me for relationship advice"

Nick sent back a laughing emoji. "Well, we are relationship goals"

"sickeningly cute"

"That's us"

"except we can't see each other" Charlie sighed and sent a sad face.

"Soon" "How is your coursework coming?" "Need any help?"

"fine" "no" "thank you"

It was a lie; he'd barely touched the coursework. He'd do some now, see how much he could get through tonight.

"What did you tell Tao?" Nick asked.

"be honest" Ironic, that, Charlie thought. "remember our first kiss?"

"Always" Followed by a string of hearts.

Charlie smiled. He hoped Tao and Elle could be as happy together as he and Nick were.

"Got to get back to my revisions"

"have to do my coursework"

"Text me good-night later?"

"always" Followed by a string of hearts.

At school, Charlie and Isaac sat with Tao to work out his date plans. Tao shot down the restaurant idea as too boring; Charlie shot down the theme park because Tao hated roller coasters.

"Ooh!" Isaac said. "What if you go to a bookshop and, like, choose a book for each other and have a cute little reading date?"

Shot down, because that was Isaac's dream date, not Elle's. "Charlie, what do you and Nick do for dates?"

Not much, since they couldn't see each other. "I mean, we went to the beach."

"Ugh." Tao rolled his eyes. "Basic." After Charlie explained that he and Nick were basically living two separate lives at the momeht, Tao sighed. "Oh, my God, you're all useless."

"Tao, you're really overthinking this," Isaac said.

"I'm not! If this date doesn't work out, then I lose my best friend in the whole world."

Isaac and Charlie looked at him and smiled, and they went back to the drawing board.