Nick and Charlies intimacy struggles. Heartstopper

sleep

Nick and Charlie had sleepovers before they were dating. But at the time neither of them thought much about it.

In the brief window between when they started dating and when they told their parents Charlie had stayed over at nick once and they hadn't shared a bed. Once they started dating sleepovers were banned for a few years.

But that didn't stop Charlie falling asleep in nicks arms all the time. Nick was way more comfortable than a bed. He was warm and soft. But he was also muscular which provided a comfortable firmness.

It was routine for Charlie to have catnaps in his boyfriends arms when he went round to nicks house. Nick loved to cuddle with Charlie, he could spend hours watching Charlie sleep.

After a stressful day Charlie would just melt into nicks arms. nick would sit on the sofa or his bed, Charlie would curl up in nicks lap and nick would wrap his arms around him. Often pulling a blanket up over them. They would stay like that for as long as possible, wrapped up in their own reality. They would talk, sleep, watch a film, go on their phones or just sit in silence looking at each other, enjoying the closeness.

Nicks strong rugby arms were Charlies safe place. when he was snuggled up against nicks strong chest he felt like nothing could hurt him. It was like he recharged by sleeping in nicks arms.

When Charlies mental health fell apart nick was there for him. He would take care of Charlie in every way he could. When Charlie was having a bad day, when he needed to hide from the world nick was there for him. But sometimes all nick could do was hold Charlie as he wept. He would stroke Charlies hair and whisper "its ok", lulling the  exhausted Charlie to sleep.

Charlie parents could see how important nick was to him. They even let him sleep over when Charlie was really struggling.

"Nick." whispered Charlie. Nick was on a mattress on the floor beside Charlies bed.

"yhea?"

"Can you come up here."

"Will your parents be ok with that?" nick asked, even as he climbed into Charlies bed. It was so small, not that either of them minded being so close to each other.

"I don't sleep well." Charlie whispered. nick nodded, already knowing this.

"Lying here in the dark, I'm all alone with my anxiety's."

Nick could feel Charlie trembling.

"All my worries, they invade my dreams, turn them into nightmares."

Charlie nuzzled into nicks shoulder. Nick thought he was crying but soon realised he was asleep. Nick ran a hand through Charlies hair and closed his own eyes.

Nick awoke to someone at the bedroom door. It was always half open when nick was in the house. He saw Charlies dad looking in on them and felt a flash of panic.

But Charlies dad smiled warmly, when he saw Charlie sleeping peacefully on nicks chest. "He hasn't slept like that in a long time."