A Collection of Heartstopper Oneshots

Don't Believe Him - 7ate9

Summary:

When Charlie tells his study group he's dating Leed's rugby star Nick Nelson, they don't quite believe him. It's embarrassing to go with them to the rugby game, with their voices in his ears telling him he's mad, but Nick is always there to prove those voices wrong, even when he doesn't even know they exist.
Notes:

This was an idea that gripped me the other day and simply would not let go. I am so burned out rn on life in general heartstopper is the only thing keeping me holding on god help me I'm so tired haha
Work Text:
Charlie had known uni would be different than secondary school, but he really didn't realize just how significant it would be. Nobody blinked twice at Charlie when he said something about his sexuality or seeing a boy. They just invited him to their study group, laughing about how they all were having trouble with a certain aspect of their statistics class.

"I get it," Nick had said when Charlie told him his thoughts on his first semester at Leeds. "When I first got here, it felt like a culture shock. Like, no one is going to care if I have a boyfriend, and they don't. They don't harass people for something as trivial as that, and no one makes me feel dumb for not understanding something. It's... great."

It was nice. Charlie was certainly weighed down by classwork, but not quite to the extent he'd thought. Even if he was lost in statistics.

And it really, really was nice. Great, even, like Nick had said. Except for times like this.

Charlie had been with his statistics study group for an hour and a half now. But Nick's preseason game started in twenty minutes, and Charlie wanted to be there for his boyfriend. He began to pack up early, telling them that he needed to go, met with groans from some of the others.

"You can't leave," Charlie's friend Harper cried. "We were just starting to get it."

Charlie shrugged with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I promised my boyfriend."

One of the other men, Jake, started laughing. "You're leaving early to get laid, then?"

Charlie bristled. "No. I'm leaving early to support my boyfriend at his game."

"Sports?" A girl, Cherri, spoke up. "What?"

"Preseason," Charlie admitted. "Rugby. But I still like to be there for him."

"Oh!" Nina sat up, a glint in her eye. "Which one? They're all so cute! Especially Nick Nelson."

Charlie laughed slightly as he zipped his bag. "Actually, that's the one. Nick's my boyfriend."

His admission was met with silence. Then, Jake began to laugh. Charlie furrowed his brows, glancing at the faces all around the table. "What?"

"It's just..." Cherri exchanged a glance with the girls before she continued, "He's not... really, is he?"

Charlie stared at her, even more confused than before. "What d'you mean?"

"Charlie," Jake started in a way that made Charlie dislike him. He looked smug, and his tone was derisive. "You cannot be dating Nick Nelson. He's the straightest person I've ever seen! And even if he wasn't, he's Nick Nelson and you're..." Jake trailed off as he eyed Charlie.

Charlie shoulders hunched up, his hands instinctively going to pull his jacket tighter around himself. He avoided eye contact, unsure of what to say.

"It's nice to have a fantasy," Cherri said pityingly. "But, I mean, it's also nice to know where that fantasy ends."

"Can you shut up?" Harper said. "He's not crazy."

"He's not dating Nick Nelson," Cherri said.

Charlie, still trying to hunch down, slung his bag over his shoulder. "I have to go," he said.