A Collection of Heartstopper Oneshots

The Spring's Regulars - aslutforgoodwriting

Summary:

That's where Nick pipes in, "what's the special today?"

Charlie was taken aback a little, usually Nick would stick to his regular jamón on bread, but Charlie wasn't complaining, "Dad is making paella again," he said, laughing it off a little.

Or,

Alternate universe where Charlie works for his dad at a Spanish restaurant and Nick is a regular there.
Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:
Charlie was setting down the plate for the last person in the group of three people, obviously tourists who just came in for a meal.

The door chimed, signaling there were people in need of a table. Charlie looked over to the door to find his favorite regulars, Nick Nelson, Tara, and Darcy.

Charlie waved kindly to the three, and nudged Olly to seat them while Charlie finished up with his table.

The Spring family opened a Spanish restaurant on Park Street in London a number of years ago, and the convenient location made their quaint little shop quite popular among the locals and some less touristy visitors. So when a broad, tall looking man walked into the restaurant for the first time in 2022, Charlie took immediate interest in the new customer, and his enthusiasm seemed to draw the man and his friends back to the restaurant often for the next years.

Since then, Charlie had learned that the man's name is Nick Nelson, probably short for Nicholas, and that Charlie fancied Nick to the point where it was a bit embarrassing.

Before Tori had gone to university in Wales, she would constantly tease Charlie about Nick, and now he was in his first year of university, still with his horrible, unrequited crush, and given that Nick had been coming to the Spring's place for 2 years, he can only assume that Nick is a year ahead of him, which in some ways, makes it so much worse.

Tara, Darcy, and Nick had come in at their usual time that Saturday, like they usually did, and Olly, possibly intentionally, sat them at a table that Charlie waits.

Charlie rushes to the kitchen to wash his hands, before running back to Nick's table, paper in hand to take their orders. "Hello you three! How are you all doing?"

Nick smiles warmly as Tara responds with a "good, and you?"

"I'm good as well!" Charlie answers, looking over at Nick, "What can I get for you guys?"

"I think we're all good with waters drink-wise," Darcy says, surveying the already set glasses of water.

"Okay, do you want to look at the food menu?" Charlie asks, knowing well that they probably have the lunch meals memorized at this point.

That's where Nick pipes in, "what's the special today?"

Charlie was taken aback a little, usually Nick would stick to his regular jamón on bread, but Charlie wasn't complaining, "Dad is making paella again," he said, laughing it off a little.

"What is Julio putting in it today?" Yes. Nick is on a first name basis with Charlie's father, the main chef of their restaurant.

Charlie knew the kitchen had all the regular pollo and pez that went in paella, "How do you want it?" Charlie said, with a smile that might come off as a little smug.

The corners of Nick's lips twitched up slightly, showcasing his pretty smile. "No, no, is Julio putting chicken or fish in the paella?" Nick insisted, saying "paella" with more of a French accent than Spanish, making Charlie's heart flutter, remembering he speaks French.