I Can Hear Your Strength (A Heartstopper FanFic -- BOOK 3)

2. Better

Before Charlie could realise it was over, Vincent Fletcher was being led away and Sahar was nudging his shoulder to leave. He looked up to find the others had begun to file out from the benches while he and Nick had been stuck, stunned at the abrupt closure of a lot of their worries.

Charlie blinked and whispered, "Ready to go?"

Nick's face was pale and he looked a bit sweaty. "Yeah."

Charlie led the way after Sahar. The foyer was full of chatter again but this time it was much more... well, not exactly cheerful, but definitely relieved. A tension had been lifted and the atmosphere was lighter for it.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" said Jane, appearing at Charlie's shoulder. "I expect you both just want to go home and --"

But Charlie couldn't wait for his mum to finish her sentence because Nick had clamped a hand over his mouth, then made a sudden dash for the loos.

Charlie darted around the door just as Nick made it to a cubicle and threw up.

"Oh, darling..."

Charlie spied a pile of neatly folded hand towels on the side and ran one under the tap. By the time he'd made it to Nick's side, he seemed to have gotten it all out of his system but Charlie bent to hold the towel over his forehead anyway. "Here."

He suspected Nick had meant to say "thanks" but all that came out was a muffled sort of "hmph" of despair mingled with disgust.

"I'd get you some water but there aren't any cups." Charlie slid down to sit beside Nick on the floor. "Do you think you're coming down with something or is it just the tension?"

"Just -- just the tension, I think." Nick prodded at the towel over his forehead. "And... and the anger. And everything."

At almost the same moment, Charlie opened his arms and Nick shuffled forward to place himself between them.

"Thanks for the towel." His voice was muffled by Charlie's shoulder. "Sorry for smelling like puke."

"You're welcome and you don't."

"Really?"

"Well... maybe a bit. But I don't mind."

To prove his point, Charlie pecked Nick on the lips and did his best not to recoil. Nick however, pulled a face. "Charlie, that is disgusting."

"Homophobia!" Charlie batted at his shoulders.

Nick laughed and Charlie smiled. "Are you feeling better? I would hate it if you threw up on me."

"I would also hate that. And yeah, I think so. You always make me feel better."

"Sap."

"You love it."

"I love you.

"I love you -- don't you dare kiss me again until I've brushed my teeth."

"Nick!"

Nick tried to push Charlie away, dodging his advances. Charlie laughed, refusing to be pushed and only tangled himself up further.

"Why do we always end up canoodling on the floor by the loo?"

Nick shrugged and glanced around. "This is a much nicer loo than usual, though." The room was indeed very shiny, just as the foyer was. "And it's always nice to see you in a suit. It wasn't really appropriate to say it earlier but... you look fucking amazing."

Charlie stroked Nick's reddening cheek. "Me? It's times like these when I wonder how I ended up with you as my boyfriend. Like, how did I manage that?"

"I can remind you if you like," Nick teased. "I seem to remember Mr Lange had something to do with it. We got sat together in form and well..."