nick and charlie: love is the strongest force

chapter thirty seven

Tw: overthinking

The next morning, Nick woke up to the soft light streaming through the curtains, his body warm and comfortable in Charlie’s arms. The weight of yesterday still lingered, but the tenderness of their closeness brought a sense of calm to Nick. He shifted slightly, trying not to wake Charlie, but his movement caused Charlie to stir.

"Morning," Charlie mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep, his arms tightening slightly around Nick.

"Morning," Nick whispered back, resting his head against Charlie’s chest. The steady rhythm of Charlie’s heartbeat was comforting, grounding him in the moment.

They lay there for a while, neither of them moving, content to just be close. Nick’s mind was quieter than usual, his thoughts slower, more peaceful. But as the minutes ticked by, a small, nagging worry started creeping in. He remembered how yesterday ended — with him clinging to Charlie, scared that he’d leave, scared that he’d lose the one person who made him feel safe.

Eventually, Charlie spoke, his voice soft but curious. “What are you thinking about?”

Nick sighed, knowing he couldn’t keep everything bottled up. “I don’t know. I guess I’m still worried.”

“About what?” Charlie asked, his hand gently stroking Nick’s back.

Nick didn’t answer right away, unsure how to explain the knot of fear still tangled in his chest. “About you… and me. About everything.”

Charlie tilted his head to look at Nick. “What do you mean?”

“I just—” Nick hesitated, his voice growing quieter. “I feel like I’m too much sometimes. That you’re always the one looking out for me. And yesterday, with your mum, I just… I don’t want to make things harder for you.”

Charlie’s brows furrowed, and he sat up slightly, propping himself up on his elbow. “Nick, you’re not making anything harder for me. You’re not too much. This—” He gestured between them, “This is what I want. To be here with you, to help you, however I can.”

Nick bit his lip, still unsure. “I know, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck with me. Like you have to take care of me all the time.”

Charlie’s face softened, and he reached for Nick’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Nick, I’m not stuck with you. I’m choosing to be here because I love you. You’re not a burden, okay?”

Nick looked at their hands, feeling the weight of Charlie’s words sink in. “I just… I don’t want to mess things up between us.”

“You’re not messing anything up,” Charlie said gently. “We’re a team. We’ll figure this out together.”

Nick nodded slowly, still processing everything. He knew Charlie meant every word, but the lingering doubt in the back of his mind made it hard to fully accept. Still, he squeezed Charlie’s hand, grateful for his reassurance.

They stayed quiet for a moment before Charlie shifted the conversation. “How about we do something fun today? Just the two of us. Something to get our minds off everything.”

Nick glanced up at Charlie, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Like what?”

Charlie shrugged, grinning. “I don’t know. We could go for a walk, grab some lunch, or just hang out here. Whatever you want.”

Nick thought about it for a second, then nodded. “A walk sounds nice.”

“Cool,” Charlie said, sitting up fully and stretching. “We can take our time, no rush.”