A Collection of Heartstopper Oneshots

I'll do whatever it takes (I'll make a million mistakes) - Draco_sollicitus

Summary:

Julio Spring thinks his children are nothing short of wonderful. He'd do anything to protect Charlie from the world's cruelty, but his son keeps him at arm's length.

Then, at the cinema, Julio Spring arrives early for pick-up and overhears two conversations: one, between his son and his new friend, Nick. The other, between his son and someone cruel.
(AKA The One where Julio Spring hears Ben bullying Charlie, but Nick comes back and puts a stop to it before it goes too far - Episode 7 Canon Divergence)
Notes:

hello!
this fic is from Julio's POV, and it involves him eavesdropping (concerned parent, trying to figure out when to intervene, not malicious). the title is from "Dear Theodosia," in Hamilton
The fic uses dialogue from episode 7, "Bully," but re-imagines it so that Julio had overheard some of it, and that Nick had come back outside to talk to Charlie rather than go inside to confront Harry.
Content Warning for:
references to homophobia
mild cursing (Nick says "f---" a few times)
Ben being awful // references to the assault in episode 1
(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:
Julio Spring has never been more out of his depth.

He thought the scariest moment of his life would be when the nurse handed him Victoria, that beautiful, precious, fragile bundle; how her little hand reached out to grasp his finger, her small mouth making shapes he yearned to understand. The fear that lodged behind his heart that day at 5:04 AM stayed, stayed and amplified 18 months later when Charles came into the world.

Tori and Charlie - his brightest joy, his most frightening reality. Julio loves his children, desperately. He'd do anything for them; he's never been a violent man, but if he could, he'd pick up a sword and slay every dragon that came for them.

But his kids, his beautiful, precious, fragile kids, won't let him.

Tori's off in her own world and never lets him stray into her orbit. She answers his questions before darting away, always on the outskirts of their family. Her grades are great, her hair is never out of place, she never makes a peep. He's hearing horror stories from other parents of teen girls, how they roll their eyes (always affectionately) and talk about all the trouble they get into. Julio is learning to be worried that he has no stories like that for his girl.

But Charlie. God, Charlie. When his darling boy came out last year – didn't even come out, to think of it, he was outed, and that's enough to make Julio sit in his car and weep – Julio realized there were dragons he'd never even dreamed of. Teeth out, claws extended, reaching for his son.

He's watched, helplessly, as Charlie disappeared. First around the edges, and then through the middle. These days, Julio's worried he'll wake up to find a ghost.

He's knocked on the door at 1:00 AM when he'd walked to the bathroom but heard muffled sobs through his son's door.

He's had his heart broken all over again after knocking on that closed door, only to have Charlie emerge, once-bright eyes reddened and swollen, a fake smile fixed on his lovely face and a soft "I'm fine, dad, promise" waiting, as though rehearsed. "Just regular kid stuff, you know."

He's noticed how Charlie's retreated into himself, like Tori does but not quite like Tori does: Tori was always quiet, Charlie was always social. Bright, bubbling, eager to chat and to make friends, kind to a fault in a world that loves to tear down anything so beautiful.

Charlie's fourteenth year on this planet is absolutely terrifying. Julio watches from the sidelines of his son's life, wanting to be put in the game, but always pushed back by an invisible hand. He loves his son. He loves him to the point of pain, and watching him come home each day, shoulders slumped and smile missing, is killing him.