Nick and Charlie // heartstopper oneshots

Tao and Elles hair

PSA: No, this isn't Nick and Charlie. It's my head cannon about why Taos hair looks so off in the show. Its set place just when Elle has been out for a while and is trying to grow her hair out.

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Elle was trans. It's nothing she's ever been ashamed off. However, her dysphoria had been kicking her ass lately, especially with the hard dress codes at Truham. That and the general transphobia at the school had made her change to the girls school, where she could finally feel like one of the girls. Like herself.

She decided to start growing her hair out, because she wanted to be able to do all of the cool hairstyles by herself, on herself but it was incredibly and unnecessary hard.

Why won't her hair just grow?

The guy who had to listen to all of her rants about it, and who enjoyed listening to it as well, he simply cared about her was Tao. Maybe she did have a crush on him. Damn it.

Like any other weekend they were sat in his bed, watching some movie Tao had convinced her to watch, when Elle mindlessly mentioned something about hating the way her hair looked, how she wanted it longer. Tao paused the movie and looked at her, something adventurous in his eyes.

"I'll do it with you!" He exclaimed. Elle looked confused for a second. She hadn't even registered that she'd said anything.

"You'll do it with me?" She asked, carefully.

"Yes! We can grow out our hair together and exchange tips and shit". He broke out into the biggest grin Elle had ever seen and she could've sworn that her heart melted a little. He actually wanted to help.

"You'd do that?," She asked slowly before continuing, now in super-speed. "Because I understand if you don't want too, you shouldn't do that if it's just for me, and what will your school think, you're not allowed hair longer than to your shoulders and what if people are mean an-"

"Take a deep breath Elle. I want too. I'll figure out what to do about the dress code later. It'll be okay." Elle inhaled, then exhaled. It all felt better.

Over the next couple of weeks they both started to properly grow out their hair. He wouldn't admit it, but Tao was a little jealous of Elle. Her hair grew so fast, he could barely keep up. As time went on he learned to braid her ever growing hair, and she did the same for him.

Then came the feared day.

Tao was walking in the school corridor with Charlie, talking about music stuff. They had an assignment and Charlie was trying to convince his best friend to pick the drums.

"I could teach you mate, it'll be grea-"

"Mister Xu!" A beaming voice was heard from behind them and Tao visibly flinched.

"What on earth is going on with your hair!? You know the rules! Shoulder length or shorter!" Fuck. He knew this day was coming now that his hair had finally gotten long enough. Was he gonna have to cut it off? What would Elle say? Would she get angry?

Spoiler alert. She didn't.

That night they met up to go get a cup of coffee and Tao told her about the teachers reaction. He didn't know what response he was expecting but it was definitely not the laugh that followed.

"They still care? What the hell mate" she said between giggles.

"Yes, yes, laugh on. I'm risking suspension over here."

"I'm sorry." She quickly stopped. She still smiled.

They ended up finishing their coffee in just a few minutes and then Elle dragged him to her house. She placed him in the bathroom and looked around in the drawers in there, looking for something.

She eventually looked back at him, holding something that looked like a murder device. A hair straightener.

"My hair is straight." He simply stated and once again she giggled.

"I'm gonna make it go up towards the end." Taos eyes widened at her words. He did not sign up for this.

"No the fuck you're not"

"Just let me try! It's either that or you're gonna have to cut it all off." She had a point. And he really did like his long hair. So he agreed to it.

10 minutes later Elle finally let Tao look in the mirror. He looked like an idiot. He couldnt go out like this, he'd be mercilessly teased by everyone, but just one glance at Elle made him change his mind. She was practically beaming with happiness. 

She must've noticed that he was looking insecure so she quickly leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his cheeks, before she even had time to process what she did. Tao looked even more startled and just as Elle was insecurely leaning away, terrified that she had destroyed her relationship with her best friend Tao grabbed her arm and pulled her back in. 

It had blossomed from a friendship into a relationship and since that day Tao always curled his hair up, just for his girlfriend.