I Can Hear Your Silence (A Heartstopper FanFic -- BOOK 2)

4. Reclaimed

"I am perfectly capable of walking up the stairs, thank you," Sarah huffed as she buffeted away Nick's offered assistance.

"But mum..."

Sarah gave a big, exhausted sigh and forced herself to swallow her pride.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Both of you. But your work is done now, dears. I'm going to do what the doctor said and have a nap. Charlie, dear, you need to get some colour into those cheeks, and Nicky, make sure you at least try to throw up, okay? I trust you both to look after each other."

Nick and Charlie nodded sheepishly, and Sarah disappeared up the stairs.

Nick sank onto the bench to pull off his shoes. "Ugh! I really don't want to make myself be sick."

"It should just happen naturally." Charlie sat down on the stairs to remove his own shoes. "I'm not really sure how you've managed to keep it down as long as you have anyway. Maybe you just have a strong stomach."

"Strong or stupid," Nick mumbled.

"Come on, darling." Charlie got up and extended a hand to help Nick up. He took it reluctantly. "You'll feel better once you've done it. I did."

Nick let himself be led up the stairs and into the bathroom. He wasn't sure he wanted an audience while he did this, but he didn't want to leave Charlie alone right now. Charlie really was very pale and, even though he had started speaking again, his words were coming out quieter than usual.

Nick flopped down on the floor, his back against the side of the bath and lifted the lid of the toilet. Charlie filled a glass of water, then joined him, setting the glass on the floor beside them within easy reach.

The newest text from Mr H was still burning a hole in his pocket but Charlie forced himself not to think about that right now. The damage had been done. All he could do now was help fix the mess he'd made, no matter what that entailed.

They sat there on the tiled floor together, waiting for something to happen. Nick's stomach was still roiling, as it had been this whole time. He had been diligently ignoring it but now, he forced himself to zero in on that nauseating feeling.

Still, nothing was happening.

He sighed in frustration. Charlie patted his knee.

"This is stupid," said Nick. "And not very romantic, I'm sorry."

Charlie let out a chuckle. "Doesn't matter. Whenever you're here, everything just is romantic."

"Pfft! Sap."

"You need to throw up, don't you? Maybe if I'm cheesy enough it'll help."

"Nothing you could ever do or say could possibly make me sick, Char."

"Christ, now I might be sick..."

For a second, the room was alight with Charlie's laughter, but then all of a sudden, his laugh seemed to get stuck in his throat and the light flickered out.

"Charlie..." Nick began softly. "Are you sure you're okay? And I mean really. You know -- you know you can tell me anything, remember?"

Charlie shrugged, his fingertips tracing circles over where they lay on Nick's knee. "I suppose I'm just a bit shaken still from that whole... milk episode."

Nick picked up Charlie's hand from his knee and threaded their fingers together. "But it's more than that, baby, I can tell. You've been off since you got here. I know you too well at this point not to notice. You don't ever have to tell me anything you don't want to but..." He turned his head to look at him directly. "I'm worried, Char. I know I worry too much and I'm sorry if I'm being overbearing but --"