Charlie and Nick: A Heartstopper FanFic

Dinner with David

David and Ingrid invited Nick and Charlie to dinner. Although Nick didn’t like being around David, he had accepted. Charlie didn’t care for his fiancé's brother too much, either, but it never felt right to voice this displeasure. It wasn’t Charlie’s place to say Nick’s brother was a dickhead, even if Nick said it himself.

Ingrid, on the other hand was a sweet person that Charlie enjoyed being around. He liked the relationship he saw forming between her and Nick. Ingrid was the big sister he had always wanted. On more than one occasion, Nick had confided in Charlie his envy over the closeness Charlie shared with the other Spring children. Tori was the wise, fierce older sister that once gave Nick the “you hurt him and I’ll kill you” talk when no one was around to hear her. Charlie could talk to her about important things, especially now that they were older.

Nick couldn’t talk to David about anything, let alone the things that mattered without him making a joke or insulting someone. Nick was especially jealous of Charlie’s kinship with Oliver, though Charlie wasn’t sure which side he was more envious of. It seemed reasonable that Nick wished he had someone who looked up to him when he was growing up, though it was more likely that Nick was specifically jealous of Oliver. He never had an older brother he could count on enough to look up to.

They sat on the patio with their cocktails, waiting for their entrees as the pair of couples made small talk, then began to catch up.

“So,” Ingrid said to Charlie, zoning in on the engagement. “How’d it happen? Tell me everything.”

“Um,” Charlie laughed anxiously as he glanced at Nick. “It was pretty romantic…”

As Charlie relayed the romantic version of their engagement, David stared into him with an expression Charlie couldn’t read. Discomfort fell around him like a damp blanket.

“How long ago was this?” David wondered. “Do mum and dad know? Why am I only just learning of this?”

“That’s adorable,” Ingrid cooed, ignoring her husband. “You should hear how this one popped the question.”

David chuckled, “they don’t wanna hear about that.”

“What?” Nick replied before speaking directly to Ingrid. “I would love to hear this.”

“Well,” she began. “We’d been together for about a year, and I’d finally built my business up to the point that I wanted to relocate to a better space in Paris. I went there for a couple of days to scope out locations and then this handsome man,” she linked her arm with David’s. “He showed up at my hotel, telling me that he couldn’t go another day without me.”

Nick and Charlie were silent, waiting for her to continue.

Before the silence got too awkward, Ingrid added, “and that’s how it happened.”

“It sounds romantic,” Charlie told her, hoping to keep her spirits high. By now, she was probably regretting her choice in husbands.

Nick made a puzzled face and crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t know you had a shop in Paris.”

Ingrid smiled through gritted teeth. “That is because David and I found a better location in London.”

Nick glared at his brother in judgement and only eased when Charlie firmly took his hand into his. As he took in a long breath, the angry red in his cheeks faded.

Although therapy had brought a lot of Nick’s anger to light, it had also helped him find ways to deal with that anger without repressing it. Charlie hurt for his future husband. Rage really wasn’t in his nature, and now it was something he had to face too often.

Shortly after their main course, both Nick and Ingrid excused themselves. Nick needed a moment away to decompress, then Ingrid excused herself to freshen up.

Almost the moment they were alone, David spoke to Charlie. “I’m only saying this because he’s little brother and I love him,” David preemptively clarified. “I don’t think you should marry Nick.”

Charlie was surprised. He didn’t know David disliked their relationship so much.

“I don’t think it’s fair to trap him in a marriage, especially at his age. It won’t last.”

Charlie swallowed at a lump in his throat, unsure how to respond.

“Think about it. He’s bi, but he’s never been with a woman, has he?” David asked. “How many years before that curiosity gets the better of him? Wouldn’t it be easier for him not to be tied down?”

When Nick and Ingrid returned to their table, Charlie didn’t feel very social anymore. He knew David had no idea what he was talking about. Still, if he was saying this sort of thing to Charlie, what was he saying to Nick?