Heartstopper oneshots/ requests

Nick helps Tara through her anxiety

"I'm sure she's fine!" Nick protests for the fourth time
"But she's never done this, Nick - what if she's-"
"She's fine!" Nick repeats, watching as Tara paces up and down the now empty lobby.

Darcy was late for the group's meet up, something Tara was convinced she would never do on purpose. If she did, Tara would be the first to know - Tara herself was sure of it.

The rest of the Paris squad had gone into the arcade, leaving Nick and Tara at the front doors. Tara was going to wait on her own, but Nick had insisted he wait with her. It was getting a little late and Nick was always cautious of leaving girls on their own when it was getting dark.

"How do you know?!" Tara snapped, changing her stepping so she was right in Nick's face, "She could be- she could be- I don't know- murdered or or-" Tara voice broke and Nick could see the tears filling her eyes.

It wasn't like Tara to get like this. Nick knew that, he'd known her since primary school.

"Hey" He said softly, offering a tight smile, "Why are you so worried?"
Tara turned on her heel and started walking to the double doors, "It's nothing"
"What's happened?" Nick asked tentatively, from this angle he could see tears spilling down Tara's face. Although she did a good job at crying silently.

"Nothing, she just-" Tara stopped, wiping her tears and turning back to Nick, "She said something the other day about-it's fine, she'd kill me for telling you" Tara changed tact
Nick laughed at that, "She doesn't have to know I know, I can keep secrets"
It was Tara's turn to laugh and she did, wiping a couple of stray tears, "You're a good friend, Nick"
"I try" He shrugged.

Tara let out a deep sigh as she turned back to the double doors, "Come on, Darcy" She muttered to herself, "I know I'm not normally this much of a worrier, but-" Tara started to say a little louder for Nick to hear.
"It's honestly fine, you can tell me - what is it?" Nick tried again, wanting more than anything to help his friend.

Tara sighed again, but this time in defeat, "She said something the other day about running away. Like she wanted to get away from everything, I mean, I don't blame her - not really. Her family are shit, like proper shit and- well, sometimes it feels like you need to escape from them"
"Do you think she was serious?" Nick asked, trying to sound casual.
"You know what Darcy's like" Tara turned around to face Nick again and she walked over to him, "She gets these ideas in her head"
"Yeah, she can be a bit... impulsive?"
"Impulsive - that's it and I'm just worried she's actually, y'know" Tara trialled off
"Run away" Nick finished her sentence and Tara nodded before starting to cry again. Although this time she was really crying and she threw her arms around Nick's waist.

A young couple walked past and gave the pair a side glance as they let the arcade, but kept walking.

"I'm being so stupid, it's probably nothing" She babbled into his chest and Nick just put his arms around her shoulders. Letting her cry on him.

"I just, I really care about her" Tara finally said once she'd calm down a little.

She pulled away and wiped her face with her sleeves, "I'm so sorry, Nick, this is so-"
"No, stop it - I'd be the same if it was Charlie" Nick reassured her, "She's probably stuck in traffic or something"
Tara nodded and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down, her chest felt a little tight.

"She's only fifteen minutes late" Nick tried to reassure Tara, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Nick watched as she tried really hard not to cry again, but it was no use. Tara felt so pathetic, this wasn't like her at all and she knew deep down it wasn't just Darcy being fifteen minutes late that was making her this way.

For a long time now, Tara felt as if she wasn't good enough. She felt like she would never be able to help Darcy. Never be able to truly support her and it drove Tara mad.

Of course she's never spoken to Darcy about this because she knew what Darcy would say. She would tell her that she's the best girlfriend and that she is supporting her. But Tara had convinced herself that wasn't true and being here now, waiting for her while she's probably run away, was proof of it.

"I'm gonna-" Tara started, but decided to just go. Stalking out of the automatic double doors and out into the open. The cold air hit her face making her take a deep breath in. Everything was going to be okay, she told herself. Yet her head kept spinning and she ended up standing with her back against the wall of the building she'd just left.

Nick had followed Tara out and seeing her act this way made him realise that Darcy being late can't be the only reason she was acting like this. Tara just wasn't the sort of girl to get this way about anything. Let alone something so petty.

"I can't b-breathe" Tara's panicked eyes locked with Nicks, "Why c-can't I breathe?!"
"You can - look" Nick moved closer to Tara and took her hands in his, "Breathe in" He said, squeezing her hands slightly, "And out" He released his grip.
"W-what?" Tara strained a laugh
"When I squeeze your hands, breathe in and when I let them go, breathe out" Nick explained, "Look"
Tara looked down, watching as Nick's hands squeezed her own. The strong hold on them felt strangely comforting.

"Breathe in"
Tara did as he said and then Nick stopped squeezing them.

"Breathe out"

After a few more times Tara really calmed down and started to breathe normally again although she kept hold of Nick's hands.

"There you go" Nick said, pleased with himself.
"Where did you learn that?"
He shrugged, "It works for Charlie so I thought I'd try it with you, come here" Nick pulled Tara into his chest and she gratefully accepted the hug.

"Get a room!" An all too familiar voice called out from behind Nick.

Tara immediately pulled away from Nick to run over to Darcy who was just walking over to the two of them.

Nick just happily watched the couple. Relieved that Darcy was in fact okay after all.

"You could have just joined the others" Darcy said to the both of them, an arm wrapped around Tara as they caught up with Nick.

Tara was hardly watching where she was going, she was almost completely occupied with looking up at her girlfriend.

"Tara wanted to wait for you" Nick said casually, not wanting to let on the gravity of the situation because he wasn't sure if Tara wanted Darcy to know.
"You worry too much!" Darcy laughed, pulling Tara into her. They were all walking in a line now.

Clearly already over their meeting, Darcy let go of Tara and skipped ahead of her. Leaving Tara and Nick walking together behind her. Nick smiled to himself at how oblivious Darcy was to how seriously worried Tara was.

"She knows" Tara said, as if reading Nick's mind
"What?"
"She does know how much I worry"
"I think you should tell her about today though"
"And make her worry about me?" Tara laughed
"It might make her realise how much you care about her"
Tara didn't say anything.
"So she doesn't do anything stupid" Nick continued, "I know I bring him up a lot, but-"
"Charlie" Tara filled in quickly and laughed
"Yeah, he worries a lot. Like a lot, a lot and he thinks that he's not good enough and it's so frustrating because if he could see how amazing he is, he wouldn't think the things he does but-" Nick hesitated, "I think me telling him how amazing he is and how much I love him helps. He thinks up all these horrible things in his head and as much as he tries to tell himself they're not real, I think it helps to actually hear them. Like to hear that he is being completely stupid and that I do actually really care about him" Nick turned to Tara now who was looking down at the floor, "Maybe it'll be the same with Darcy"
Tara stayed silent for a second as they walked through the first double doors, thinking through what Nick had just said.

"Maybe" She finally said as they walked into the second double doors to the arcade.

Hope you liked this! I wasn't too happy with it, but I do like writing about Nick and Tara's friendship sooo 😌

Don't forget to vote x