TRIGGER WARNING: SELF HARM
"I don't understand why you don't want me to go? We've been together for 6 years, Nick, your mum wants me to go, your aunt wants me to come, so why don't you? Are you ashamed of me?"
"No, Charlie, I'm not ashamed of you."
"Then why don't you want me to come with you to Menorca?" Nick lets out a breath of exasperation, then he turns away from his boyfriend. "Just tell me!"
"Drop it, Charlie."
"No. Tell me." Charlie takes Nick's shoulder and turns him around. "Nick, please-"
"I said to fucking drop it!" Nick snaps. Charlie takes a step back, his eyes wide and his heart drops. He stares at him for a moment longer before he turns and leaves the room. "Shit.." Nick sighs heavily and he runs a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. He hears a door slam. "Charlie..." He walks into the next room then turns down a hall and walks down it until he's at the bathroom door. "Char..." He knocks softly. "Come on, let me in."
"Leave me alone."
"Charlie, I'm sorry I snapped at you. Please, let me in." Nick says softly, the side of his body pressed against the door. It's silent, Charlie doesn't speak, but for a moment, Nick hears rustling. "Charlie?" He steps back and turns completely towards the door. "Charlie? Let me in." He tries the door knob, but it's locked. "Charlie? Talk to me, please." He says, his voice panicked now. "Char-" The door opens. Nick stares at Charlie. "What were you doing in there? Why weren't you responding to me?"
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? What did you do?" Nick asks as he scans his arms with just his eyes then his face for any sort of answer. "Charlie, what did you do?"
"I don't want to burden you, if you don't want me to go, I won't go."
"Charlie."
"I wish I knew why you're acting this way, but.."
"Charlie."
"If you really don't want to tell me, then that's okay. I'm sorry for being annoying and for acting like a total dick.."
"Charlie." Nick takes Charlie's face into his hands. They meet eyes. "What did you do?" He asks again. Charlie looks down. "You can tell me."
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me." Charlie looks up. Nick's eyes shift over to his right sleeve and he pushes it up, revealing a cut in his inner arm. "Char..." He pulls Charlie into his arms. "I'm sorry, I should've been more careful with my words.. I didn't mean them." It's silent. "It's just.. David will be there and he's a dick and the whole visit, we'll be going to all kinds of different restaurants and I know how hard that is for you, I didn't want you to have to deal with that."
"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Charlie asks once they break from the hug and he looks up at Nick.
"I thought it would stress you out and it'd make you feel bad for being you. I didn't want you to feel bad."
Charlie forces a smile, though some part of it was real. "You're amazing."
"Are you okay?" Nick asks rather than respond to the comment. Charlie nods. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Nick sighs and pulls Charlie back into their hug.
