Espresso Hearts: a Nick and Charlie fanfic

Police

~Nick~

"Charlie?!" I shout, dropping to the floor and pulling him into my arms and using my sleeve to try and stop the blood that's pouring from his nose. He's conscious but confused and his eyes are glazed over.
"Nick...?" He whispers.
"I'm here, Char... I've got you..."

"What happened?!" A member of staff asks as he looks at me cradling Charlie on the floor.
"I don't know, I didn't see." I reply.
"Can you bring him out the back? We've got a first aid team."
"Okay." I say, scooping Charlie up and following the member of staff through the back entrance.

I sit down on a chair and hold Charlie on my lap while a first aider puts gauze in his nostrils to stop the bleeding and cleans him up. I feel him tighten his arm that's around my neck as he starts to become more coherent.
"What happened Char?" I ask gently.
"Someone... Punched... Me..." He mumbles.
"What?! Why?!"
"Disgusting..." He breathes.
"What?" I ask, and then I realise what he means... Those ignorant dickheads that kept looking at us while we were bowling. I start feeling sick.
"Head... Hurts..." He mumbles again.
"I'm going to look after you, I promise." I say softly.

After about an hour of being checked by the first aid team Charlie seems much less confused and he's aware of what's going on around him.
"Where were you?" He whispers, leaning his head on my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Char..." I say quietly, pulling him closer to me. "I bumped into a friend from school as I came out the toilet... I was only gone five minutes..."
"It's okay..." He whispers.
"No, no it's not... I should have been there... I'll never forgive myself..." I say, my eyes starting to fill with tears.

The first aid team give Charlie the all clear to go home, telling me if he becomes confused or starts vomiting to take him to hospital and I thank them.
"I'll call Elle to pick us up... Shit! My phone!"
"They took your phone?!"
"Yeah... For fucks sake!"
"It's okay, I'll call my mum."
"Your mum? I've never met your mum..."
"It's fine Char, she knows all about you." I say, pulling my phone out of my pocket to call her.

Mum: I'm outside xx

Nick: be there in a minute xx

"Do you think you can stand?" I ask Charlie.
"I think so..." He says and I slowly guide him to his feet, pulling his arm over my shoulders and holding him tightly around his waist.
"You okay?" I ask as I steady home.
"Yeah I'm good... I can't believe this is the first time I'm meeting your mum..."
"Don't worry, she'll love you!" I chuckle.

"Oh, Charlie love! What happened?!" Mum asks, rushing over to us as we walk slowly towards her car. Charlie looks slightly taken aback.
"Some homophobic twat punched him while I was in the loo!" I tell her.
"Oh no! That's awful!" She gasps, looking at Charlie sympathetically.

I help Charlie into the car and do his seatbelt up then I go around to the other side and get in the back seat next to him.
"You okay?" I ask softly, taking his hand in mine.
"Yeah." He says smiling weakly.
"Nicky, am I taking you home or to Charlie's?" Mum asks.
"Charlie's, I'm going to stay with him for a few days." I tell her.
"What about work?" Charlie asks.
"I've got some holiday leave."
"Nick, you don't have to do that..."
"Yes, I do." I say, squeezing his hand gently.

"Oh my god! Charlie! What happened?" Elle asks as I help him through his front door.
"Some dickhead called me the f word and punched me." Charlie tells her.
"Oh god, Charlie! Are you okay?!"
"They called you that?!" I ask, feeling sick again.
"Yeah..." Charlie says quietly.
"Nick, take him through to the living room and I'll put the kettle on, Tao will be back soon."

I sit down with Charlie on the sofa pulling him onto my lap and he snuggles into him.
"Nick..." He whispers.
"Yeah?" I ask gently.
"You're mum's so lovely..." He says quietly.
"Yeah, she's the best." I say, chuckling softly.
"Makes sense..."
"What do you mean?"
"The way you are..." He starts stroking his fingers through my hair. "I wish my mum was like that..."
"What?" I ask, he's never mentioned his parents before.