Charlie and Nick: A Heartstopper FanFic

The Beach

Charlie wanted to eat. His stomach growled quietly, screaming at his brain to address this hunger. But nothing looked good. Nothing sounded appetizing. Perhaps he was still stressed from their arrival earlier in the day. Stress made eating painful. Anxiety slows one's digestive system, causing upset and GERD. Charlie already knew that if he forced himself to eat, his stomach would be bothering him all night.

So, when the waiter arrived at their table to take their orders, Charlie only asked for another basket of bread while Nick ordered a nice steak and salad. He didn’t really plan on eating the bread, just hold onto a slice and let Nick see him attempt one or two bites.

Nick was trying to hide his concern, fearing Charlie would take on the guilt of making their honeymoon sub par, but Charlie could read his husband.

“I'll eat properly tomorrow,” Charlie assured him. “It’s only an upset stomach.”

Nick nodded, carefully slicing his steak into smaller, bite sized pieces. “And you’re sure you don’t wanna try some soup or something?” he wondered. As he spoke, a school of bright yellow fish swam by the window behind him.

“I'm sure,” Charlie replied before he reached across their small, circular table and held Nick’s hand. “Stop worrying.”

“Well, I won’t do that,” Nick retorted. “It’s my life’s work to make you happy. I won’t be taking the vows we made lightly.”

Charlie's lips turned up in a half grin as he eyed his husband’s meal. “Good?”

Nick took a bite, then made a nearly orgasmic facial expression. “So good.” His fork stabbed into a small piece of steak before Nick offered it to Charlie. When he saw Charlie's hesitance, he urged, “c'mon, babe. Just one bite. You gotta taste this.”

Trusting his husband over his anxiety, Charlie leaned closer to Nick and let his husband feed him a piece of steak. It really was amazing. “Wow.”

“Right?” Nick beamed. “You can have more, if you want. No pressure, love.”

Charlie only smiled back at him thinking, I love you.

After dinner, they took a casual stroll outside to the beach so they could watch the sun set over the ocean. They walked past the plastic beach chairs and the chic cabanas, sitting directly in the sand at the water's edge.

Taking off their shoes, they let their bare feet sink under a thin layer of white sand, still warm from the sun beating down on it that day.

Cuddling close, Nick put a sleeveless arm around Charlie and kissed his cheek. Releasing a long, content sign, he rested the side of his head against Charlie's.

Smirking, Charlie stared out at the rippling waters. “Do you remember the first time you took me to a beach?”

Nick's thumb gently caressed Charlie's arm, which was hiding beneath the sleeve of a thin jumper. “Of course. It’s one of my favorite days. I swear, I already knew I loved you. And there you were, asking if we're boyfriends. I was already planning our wedding.”

Charlie turned to look into Nick’s eyes. “You never told me that before.”

Nick's shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I didn’t wanna scare you away. Having such strong feelings like that for the first time, it was intimidating. Love just seemed like such a gigantic mountain of an emotion that could crush either of us. I saw it two ways; run and never experience any of it, or risk the destruction of my heart for you. I chose you and I have never regretted that choice.”

As the sun set over the tropical sea, Charlie got up and dusted the sand off of his ass before offering a hand to Nick. “I'd like to go to our room now.”