Charlie and Nick: A Heartstopper FanFic

Gift

Nick handed the gift to Charlie, hoping that he wasn’t being humored. “It’s alright if you think it’s childish.”

Charlie studied the plush cat Nick had offered him. It reminded him of a stuffed animal he had when they first got together. “Not at all. It’s adorable.”

“Just like you.”

“Cheeseball,” he chuckled.

“There’s more,” Nick told him as he revealed a second stuffed animal. This one was a golden retriever who drew a small resemblance to Nellie, who was surprisingly still alive and well at Nick's mum's place. Nellie was old, but she was still a very happy dog.

To demonstrate the full scale of his gift, Nick gave the golden retriever a squeeze.

The cat in Charlie's hand lit up with a purple glow.

“Every time I hug this, yours will light up. It goes both ways,” Nick explained before embarrassment began to cloud his confidence. It had seemed like a great idea when he bought this stuff. Now it seemed so silly.

Charlie's smile didn’t waver. “Nick…”

Nick took the plush cat from Charlie's grasp. “Forget I said anything. It was a stupid, cheesy idea.”

In disapproval, Charlie furrowed his brow and snatched the golden retriever. “You can’t take back my present.”

“Charlie, come on. I feel silly as it is,” Nick told him.

“I prefer this one anyway,” Charlie declared as he gave the plush dog a squeeze, lighting up the cat Nick had taken back from him. He held it up so Nick could better see its face. “It looks like you. Don’t you think?”

Nick examined the stuffed cat. “This one kind of looks like you, now that you mention it. You have the same blue eyes.”

“It’s settled, then,” Charlie beamed. “I'll take the dog and you keep the cat. And when I want to hug you, I'll hug my new friend, here.”

Nick couldn’t believe the relief that came with Charlie's reaction. “And I’ll do the same.”

“Good,” Charlie said with finality before he lay a kiss on Nick’s lips. “I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Nick replied, his heart fluttering. How was he going to go ten days without his sweet Charlie?

He knew with all of his intuition that he could trust Charlie. They had no past incidences with fidelity, yet Nick’s conversation with Darcy still echoed in his head until he had to ask himself the same question he had asked her the day before. If Charlie met someone new, someone who could somehow make his life happier, could Nick accept it? It wasn’t as though Nick would be able to object if that was what Charlie wanted. If he decided to truly leave, Nick would have no choice but to accept it. Nick knew, though, that losing Charlie would destroy him. Even with this in mind, Nick decided that Charlie's happiness was more important than his own. As long as he didn’t end up with another Ben, Nick would find a way to live with it.

“Nick?” Charlie said in a soft voice. “You zoned out. Is everything alright?”

He nodded and held his boyfriend's hand. “I'll miss you, is all.”

“I'll miss you more,” he smiled before going back to his open suitcase. He placed his new plush golden retriever inside with care.

As much as Nick wanted to propose to Charlie this instant, he worried that the time wasn’t right. He could wait. After ten days they would be together again, then Nick Nelson would finally ask Charlie Spring to marry him.