Heartstopper Oneshots 😮‍💨😮‍💨

there's nothing wrong with you - 🌱💗

request by @swift-fx hope this is ok!
of course we're going back to the usual: angst to fluff!! yayayay!!
enjoy!!
—

Nick gazed at his boyfriend smiling, who was passionately debating with Tao about whether apple or orange juice was better.
He loved Charlie a lot. There was just something about him, that made him fall so hard for him. Was it his smile? His voice? His personality? Maybe all 3 things. Maybe more.
Sometimes, he even thought that Charlie was too good for him. Too kind, and giving. And understanding, and caring, and empathetic. Everything.

Nick didn't even realize he was staring until two fingers snapped in front of his eyes.
"Nick! Why are you staring at me like that?" Charlie said giggling.
"He's giving you goo-goo eyes. How romantic!" Aled said smirking. Nick glared at him and then they all started to laugh.
"I'm not! I just... spaced out. Didn't mean to." he replied, blushing.
"Uhh-huh..." Tao said knowingly, then resuming his serious debate with Charlie about juice.

Charlie had always been the one with more insecurities and overthinking.
But that didn't mean that Nick didn't suffer some of that sometimes too.
Unfortunately, he didn't want to seem like a burden and make things even worse for Charlie. So Charlie had no idea about his insecurities.

"Nick, are you okay? You seem detached from the world." Charlie said chuckling, but worry lacing his voice.
"Huh?...Yeah, yeah." Nick said absent-minded.
"Guys, I'm in a good mood today 'cause I got a 95 in my exam... how about we all get some topped frozen yogurts? My treat." Aled said excitedly.
"Yes!!" Tao said.
Charlie nodded slowly and nervously, having fear to those kinds of foods due to his eating disorder but accepting to not break Aled's happiness. They all suddenly looked at Nick oddly, who was still staring into space.
"Nick...?" Tao said expectantly.
"Wha..? Oh. No, no I'm okay. Thanks. I'm not really hungry."
The whole group was shocked to hear that. Nick never turned down frozen yogurts.
Charlie's heart started to beat faster. That phrase sounded way too familiar.
He knew something was up. He could read Nick like an open book.
He decided not to push further and to check up on him after school, as they had planned for Charlie to come over to Nick's.

—
Same day, 6pm, Nick's House
—

Oh, wow. Okay, yeah. There was definitely something wrong with Nick.
The couple never did their homework in silence. They always listened to music or chatted or threw pens at each other.
But today they were in silence, and the only sound heard in the room was the scribbling of pencils on paper as they both laid on the rug on the floor.

After a little Charlie decided to speak up.
"Nick... speak to me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Nick."
"Nothing!"
"Nick!"
"..." Nick inhaled as if to start talking, but then cut off.
"Come on. You know I'd never judge you."
"...I... You deserve better than me." Nick said quietly, almost so quietly that Charlie couldn't hear.
"What?" Charlie said shocked.

Nick inhaled again and then an inevitable rant started, all his bottled up emotions spilling out.
"You deserve better than me! You're such an amazing person and so caring and thoughtful, and sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough! Like... I... need to... lose weight or you'll... hate me or something." Nick's voice quivered.
"When did.. when did I make you feel like that? I'm so sorry Nic-"
"You didn't! That's the thing! I feel guilty about telling you this because I feel like a burden, because you didn't do anything and now I'm offloading my problems to you."
"Nick, listen to me. If you are having a bad day, I want you to come and speak to me. I want to help you. You aren't a burden to me, I promise. And look. I'll love you always. You do not need to lose weight to be valid and loved, I'll love you so much no matter what. Either way... I don't think you need to lose weight." Charlie said quickly, desperation lacing his voice. He really did not want Nick to go through what he did.

They looked at each other in silence before Nick smiled weakly.

"I needed to hear that, honestly."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Thank you." Nick said quietly as he looked down and fiddled with his sleeves.
Charlie opened his arms for a hug and Nick accepted immediately, tears cornering his eyes and then flowing down his cheeks. Charlie just swayed Nick as he kissed his forehead over and over again.
"Shh, it's okay."

"Charlie..."
"Yeah?"
"I really love you. Like, a lot." Nick said, his voice muffled in Charlie's shoulder. Charlie smiled as he went pink.
"I love you too. So, so much."