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

7. Heat

Sarah had been so pleased when Nick had returned home with his haul of birthday presents. She had been even more ecstatic when, on the way to therapy, he'd told her all about the surprise birthday lunch his friends had thrown for him. But now, therapy was over and done with for the week and Nick was sitting at the dinner table, across from his mum, his brain utterly wrung out. His head ached from thinking and talking and crying.

Nick had completely forgotten about his first session back after two weeks until his mum had reminded him. Once he'd sat down in Andrew's office with it's squishy chair and tidy bookshelves, it hadn't been that bad really. Especially when he had laid eyes on the little porcelain cat Andrew kept on his desk. The cat which reminded him of Charlie. Sometimes he would talk to the cat instead of the therapist. Sometimes he couldn't look the cat in the eye.

But Nick wouldn't have to think about Andrew or the cat again for another week. When therapy had become a regularly scheduled event in their lives, Sarah had learnt Nick preferred some peace and quiet in the hours after. She would keep her tone soft, never asking questions unless Nick chose to open up himself. Nick appreciated the unspoken agreement beyond measure.

He had just stood up to gather their empty plates when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it, dear."

Nick carried the plates to the sink while his mum went out into the hall. He was just turning the tap when he heard a voice -- his favourite voice -- coming from the front doorstep.

"Hi, Sarah. I'm sorry to bother you --"

"Nicky!" Sarah called. "Your Charlie's here!"

Nick printed into the hall, hastily drying his hands on his joggers. Any residual post-therapy wobbles Nick had been feeling vanished. But then he felt his own smile fall from his face at the sight of Charlie's pale cheeks and sad eyes. With a quick squeeze of Nick's arm, Sarah slipped back into the kitchen.

"Hey. Are you okay? Has something happened?"

Charlie chewed at his bottom lip as he unzipped his coat. He turned to hang it up on a peg, exhaled deeply, then spoke to his feet. "My dad found out about... um... my mum, you know? Hitting me."

"Shit," Nick breathed. "Oh, Char..." He reached out to pull Charlie into a hug. Charlie clung to him, so perfectly as always, though his skin was cooler than usual from being outside. "How did... how did he take it?"

Nick felt more than saw Charlie shake his head. "I don't really want to talk about it." Charlie pulled away with a forced smile already in place. He lifted up a bag Nick hadn't noticed he'd been carrying. "I brought your other birthday present."

Charlie led the way up the stairs, into Nick's room. As soon as Nick followed him inside, Charlie spun around and held out the glittery blue bag, none of the sadness from less than a minute ago remaining. His grin was genuine and dazzling as he nudged the bag further forward. "Go on, take it."

Nick sighed. It wasn't hard to smile when Charlie was looking at him like that. He took the bag and pulled Charlie over to sit beside him on the bed. Charlie waited expectantly, chin propped on his hand as Nick plunged his hand into the bag and felt fabric. He pulled it out. It was a jumper. A very familiar jumper...

"It's all the ones I've borrowed from you," Charlie announced. "I thought you might want them back. I washed them all, I promise."

"Aw... why did you do that?"

"Huh?"

Nick pouted. "I just like it when my jumpers smell like you."

"Well," said Charlie, leaning closer. "I like it when they smell like you, so... these are all useless to me now."