Swipe Right to Love: Nick and Charlie Fanfic

Toxic

I ran into Billy again the day after Nick and I kissed for the first time. I was feeling pretty shit about the whole situation, and was on my way to a lecture. I saw him first, he was walking towards me and he smiled when we caught eyes.

"Hello again." He said with a flirtatious look in his eyes.
"Hey." I said awkwardly.
"What are you studying?" He asked.
"Classics." I told him.
"So you're cute and smart?" He asked cheekily.

It had taken me by surprise. I could still feel Nick's soft, perfect lips against mine, but I couldn't have him. This very attractive man was flirting with me, and I thought the best way to get over Nick was getting under someone else.

"And you're a hot science nerd." I teased, referencing the biology book he was holding.
"I have to get to my lecture, but could I have your number?" He asked, smirking at me.
"Yeah, okay." I giggled.

I gave Billy my number and went to my lecture. It felt wrong, but I didn't want to put my life on hold, just in case things worked out with Nick.

We exchanged flirty text messages for a week, and when we bumped into each other at uni, he would touch my arm or lower back.

He was really into me, and it made me forget how much I was hurting. In that week, Nick and I had started to form a really strong friendship. We still flirted, but didn't cross lines anymore.

[26/05/2026]

Billy: Do you live on campus?

No, I live in Ealing with my friend

Billy: I have a flat near uni, wanna come over tomorrow evening?

I casually mentioned this to Nick, he was surprised but seemed unbothered. I don't know how I would have reacted if it was the other way around, but it led me to believe that there wasn't a chance of us becoming more than friends.

He wasn't okay with it, but he didn't let it show. He would go along with anything if he thought it would make me happy, even if it meant hurting himself in the process. If I had known how he really felt, I would have stayed away from Billy, but none of what happened was in any way Nick's fault.

The next evening, I slept with Billy for the first time. It was good, but the whole time I had been wishing it was Nick. I went home the next morning feeling dirty, I had a shower and then got into bed.

When Nick got home from the gym, he was completely normal with me. I reality checked myself, truly believing the ship had sailed with Nick, and I had the option to have regular, decent sex with a hot guy who was really into me.

Billy and I started seeing each other, and for the next two weeks, it was honestly great. He was kind, made me laugh, and he was good in bed. I never brought him to the flat, I didn't want the awkwardness of him and Nick meeting.

I had started to genuinely really like him, and I think he knew that. He knew my guard was down, and his behaviour towards me to started change.

[13/06/2026]

13:02

Hey 😊 I'm in the library, are you busy?

Billy: I'm chilling with my mates

No worries, this evening?

Billy: Not sure what I'm doing yet

I didn't know why he suddenly started blowing hot and cold with me. At first, I thought maybe it was because his friends didn't know he was gay, but the next day he kissed me in front of them.

So I started to think maybe it was me, I was being too clingy. I tried easing off a bit, but that lead to him asking if I'd lost interest. He wanted me to be keen, but not match that energy himself. He wanted me at his beck and call, while only seeing me when it suited him.

[19/06/2026]

14:09

Billy: Are you busy?

No, just chilling at home

Billy: Wanna come over?

Sure 😊

I honestly don't know why I went along with it, I would have rather been at home with Nick. But I left, and got on the tube to go to his flat.

"Why do you smell like another man?" He asked when he greeted me with a half hearted hug.
"Maybe because I live with another man?" I said cheekily.
"Don't speak to me like that Charlie." He snapped, moving away from me.
"Sorry." I said quietly.
"Are you sleeping with him?" He asked bluntly.
"What? No, we're just friends." I stressed.
"Good." He said flatly, taking my hand and leading me to his bedroom.

His subtle toxic behaviour progressed from there. A few days later, he made an insensitive comment about my scars. "Why would you do that to yourself?" A question that made me feel insecure, and I started hiding them again, unless I was at home with Nick.

He would make flippant remarks about my appearance, but would then contradict them by saying how pretty or beautiful I was. He said all of this stuff in a way that made me believe he didn't mean it, that maybe I was just being too sensitive.

In a very short period of time, he got in my head, made me lose my confidence, made me doubt myself. Sometimes when I'd see him, he'd be very quiet, he'd hint that I'd done something to piss him off, but he'd never tell what.

Looking back, it was text book narcissistic behaviour. It's hard to see when you're in that situation, I knew he didn't treat me well, but I believed it was my fault. Some days, he'd be so lovely and affectionate towards me, making me think I just had to keep doing whatever I'd done on that day to make him happy.

But it didn't work like that, it didn't matter what I did, or what I said. I never actually did anything wrong, it was him. Five weeks we were seeing each other, but that was all it took for him to break me down.

In early July, I had gone to a uni party. I was meeting him there, and when I walked in, I saw him all over another man. I went home and cried to Nick, I told him I was done with Billy.

He helped me see the abuse I had suffered, I felt stupid for not seeing it. The fact he had done this to me, in just a few weeks, made me feel numb. But I was okay, I had Nick.