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

18. Endure

Nick's back ached.

He rolled over. The ground beneath him was uneven, rocky. A thin layer of moisture covered his forehead, his coat, his jeans -- all of him. He opened his eyes, but a bright, piercing light made him shut them again. What was that?

"Nick!" A whispered cry from beside him. A hand grasped his shoulder and shook it. "Nick, wake up!"

"Hmph..." Nick groaned, rubbed a hand over his face and peeled his eyes back open. Charlie was leaning over him, his hair a tangled mess, haloed by the bright, bright light from before. Was this heaven? Had Nick died somewhere in the darkness of last night and landed here?

"Are you okay?" Charlie's grip was cold even through Nick's coat sleeves. "Oh, thank God. I thought you might -- I didn't know if... I -- I can't carry you, but I didn't want to leave you. I didn't know what to do."

The panic lacing Charlie's voice snapped some consciousness back into Nick's brain. He blinked away some of his drowsiness, sat up and as he did so, Charlie pulled him into his arms, into a tight embrace. And over his shoulder, Nick took in their surroundings for the first time.

"Whoa!" he gasped.

The bright which had woken him was in fact the rising sun. Brilliant and golden over the moorland stretching out as far as he could see ahead.

Charlie was damp, too, his clothes freezing to the touch. Dew, Nick realised. He had no memory of falling asleep, no memory of even stopping to rest, but he assumed they must have done so -- and with little consideration. Apparently, they had been sprawled in the middle of a vast stretch of moor, not a tree in sight. No wonder his back was killing him.

"Where the fuck are we?"

"I don't know," Charlie murmured into Nick's chest. He was shivering something fierce. "I'm just glad you're awake. You were so exhausted and you needed to sleep. We both did. But... I -- I just needed you awake. I'm sorry."

"Charlie." Nick drew away to look at him imploringly. "Absolutely no s-words for the rest of your life, please and thank you." Charlie tried for a smile but all he achieved was a grimace. Nick kissed both his pale cheeks. "We did it, love. We made it out of there. I know this... this isn't ideal but --"

"I know." Charlie swallowed. "I -- I was freaking out for a bit there. When I woke up it was still pretty dark and I thought you were unconscious and I'd have to lug you back to civilization somehow or we'd both die out here and no one would ever find us..."

"That's not going to happen." He kissed Charlie's forehead, stroked his cheeks. "Look," he said and nodded toward the horizon. Charlie looked -- and his breath caught.

Sunlight mottled the heather-covered hills with soft white light. The temperature was cold and the ground was hard and damp but...

"It's so beautiful."

"Yeah."

They looked away from the rising sun to look, instead, at each other. For the first time in days, a flicker of light lay between their gazes, a kindling of safety.

Charlie got to his feet and reached out a hand to help Nick up. He wobbled only for a moment before Charlie wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Nick tried not to wince. Tried to swallow the lingering pain. "Any excuse to stay close."

"Which way do you think we should go?"

Nick looked around. He had no idea which direction they had come from last night, nor was there any indication of a path or a signpost. Wherever they were truly was very remote. Their breaths mingled in cold puffs before them. The moor seemed to stretch onward forever on all sides, before dropping off into the sky.