A Collection of Heartstopper Oneshots

I'm okay, I promise - tiltheendoftheline24

Summary:

Charlie knew this couldn't have been the first time it happened immediately after noticing it.

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or where Charlie begins to notice how much Nick's family's presence (or lack of it) is affecting him, and their journey through it together.
Notes:

i hope you love this as much as i loved writing it... im sorry nick is going through it! There are some illusions to charlie's eating disorder (very minor and just mentioned in passing) so tw if that could affect you!! i haven't been inspired to write in a while and this just poured out of me the past couple days bc i love these two so much.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:
Charlie knew this couldn't have been the first time it happened immediately after noticing it. It was during a work party for the public defender's office, and Nick had his arm resting on the back of Charlie's chair as Nick explained the disaster of his recent case to his fellow lawyers.

"I swear, the DA was trying to screw us from the beginning because they knew the police conducted an illegal search," Nick remarked, a sip of whiskey punctuating the frustration.

"They always do that," Sai chimed in with a weary shake of his head. "God, that case was killer. We were practically sleeping at the office, I don't know how you put up with that, Charlie, even my cat was trying to leave me after being away for so long,"

It's a joke, of course, and Nick gives the required sarcastic laugh, and Charlie smiles, pressing a consoling kiss to Nick's cheek.

Yet, in that tender moment, Charlie observes a subtle withdrawal. The warmth that had radiated from Nick's leg vanished from his own leg, a retreat into himself as his mouth set into a firm line as he continued to listen to the conversation around them. Perplexed, Charlie wonders if he's uncomfortable by the public display of affection, but he knows that isn't it. Sai was one of the first people Nick had felt comfortable enough to tell about them, and considering the heteronormative nature of the law world, that meant a lot. Besides, Nick didn't look embarrassed; he looked guilty — as if the kiss carried an unwarranted weight, as if he'd hurt Charlie.

Charlie remembers this case, too, the days that went by when he stayed up as long as possible waiting for Nick before falling asleep in an empty bed. He knew it was a demanding job, and he was so proud of Nick that he wanted to make it easy for him, considering the thankless nature of being a public defender. He'd never blamed Nick for that, and besides, Nick always balanced it out, never letting it go on for too long and carving out special days just for them to make up for it.

After dinner, Nick presses Charlie against their bedroom door, arms tight around his waist, as if he can't bear to let go as he kisses him slow and filthy, tongue tracing the divots of Charlie's collarbones. Charlie can't shake the feeling that he's being apologized to, just for the simple act of being in love, and it leaves a knotted feeling in his stomach.

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He starts to notice it more after that.

They're over at Elle's place, yelling at the television as they watch the latest episode of White Lotus. None of them can stay quiet when they're around each other, much less when they're all watching something.

"It's too obvious if Portia dies," Tao argued. "Maybe she'll kill Jack."

"I hope so, he's scaring the shit out of me," Elle stuck her feet further under Charlie's legs, her cold feet making Charlie jump.

"God, your feet are cold," Charlie complained, settling into the sofa more comfortably, wrapping his blanket tighter around him.

"You should feel Tara's feet," Darcy said from her spot on the floor next to Nick. "They're like icicles, and she insists on never wearing socks,"