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Charlie wasn’t sure what happened.
One minute his eyes were glued to the floor as he snaked his way through the crowded hall with tears burning his eyes, and the next he was yanked back by the sound a loud pop followed by a yelp and then the roar from the other students as they gravitated towards the fray.
The guy who bothered Charlie for the last two years was pinned against one of the lockers with a bloody nose by someone Charlie barely knew. He was his seatmate in form, he was sure. A tall, laid back boy who was usually all smiles and charm. They hadn’t really spoken much, if they even spoke at all other than the occasional 'hey's and 'hi's, but now his hands tightly gripped a rumpled up uniform collar with murder in his eyes and a fresh bruise on his eye.
“The fuck did you say?”
“Mate, let me go,” Harry Greene whined. “I didn’t say anything!”
Yes he did. He always does…
Charlie froze in place as he watched the melee. The boy; Nicholas Nelson.
“Get him, Nick!”
Charlie’s mouth went dry. Nick hit him again, this time across the cheek, and the other boy’s head whipped back against the locker, and then he was out.
Uh oh.
“He knocked him out cold!”
“Holy shit!”
“Mate, you killed him!”
Nick let go and Harry slid down the locker onto the floor. Charlie held a breath that he didn’t release until the boy’s head rolled back and a groan escaped his busted lip. Thank God. Even Nick’s shoulders dropped in relief. Everyone fell silent as the weight of what had happened between them sank in, but the moment was short lived.
A shrill whistle came from down the hall, and soon the three of them were left alone as the rest of the students scattered like cockroaches. Charlie wasn’t really sure why he was still there himself, but it was his fault, wasn’t it? He was just as involved as they were.
“Nelson! Greene!” A voice thundered, shaking Charlie to the core. It was one of the teachers, a man in his thirties. He taught history, he was pretty sure. The teacher reached down and helped Haughty Greene up to his feet who wavered uselessly like one of those teetering clown toys. “You okay?”
The boy nodded and shot Nick a venomous look.
“Can you get yourself to the nurse’s office?” the teacher asked, not letting him speak. He spoke kindly, but somehow without sympathy. “I’ll have someone call your parents to come get you.”
“You’re fucking dead, Nicholas.”
“Mr. Greene,” the man scolded. “Maybe I should call your parents myself?”
The boy shook his head bitterly and turned to leave by himself without a chance to defend himself or throw out any skewed accusations. He probably should’ve had an escort considering he probably had a concussion, but since everyone ran away, there was no one left to take him but Charlie, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to do him any favours.
“Nicholas,” the teacher sighed, rubbing his temple. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Improv acting?” Nick tried sheepishly. “Got a little carried away, I guess. Might just stick to stand-up.”
The teacher’s cheek twitched like he wanted to laugh but instead he forced himself to frown. “Fighting? Really? You? I’m disappointed.”
“It’s my fault!” Charlie shouted, finally able to speak. “Please don’t kick him out of school, he was only trying to help me!”
Nick shot him a surprised look. The teacher studied them both. “Is that so?”
“Yes!”
“No.”
Charlie froze. It wasn't?
He felt his cheeks burn in humiliation. He assumed the fight was because of what Harry said to him, but then again he had been told before that he had a bad habit of thinking the whole world revolved around him. Maybe that was the case here too.
Nick shrugged casually. “Sometimes people just need to get punched.”
The teacher winced like that was the last thing he needed to hear.
“He called me a—” Charlie tried but he couldn’t say it. Nick flushed, startled, and the teacher seemed to understand.
He turned to Nick and sighed, looking him over like he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with him. “Detention?”
“Sounds about right,” he nodded, nursing his punched eye.
He didn’t seem too upset with his punishment, but Charlie wouldn’t stand for it.
“After school,” he said before turning to leave. “Follow me so I can write you up.”
“Wait!” Charlie called out, following them. He had to fix this somehow.
And that was how Charlie ended up serving detention for the first time in his life at his own insistence.
Nick thought he was insane for not leaving even when he was told several times that he didn’t have to be there but Charlie didn’t care. It was his fault the fight happened in the first place so it was only fair that he served the punishment too along with him, but he was also there for another reason.
He needed to find out why.
People said shit about him all the time, and he just sucked it up and then took out his frustration on his drums when he got home like a normal person, but no one ever jumped in to help. After Tao moved away, Charlie didn’t have a lot of friends so there never was anyone around to. But Nick didn’t even really know him. There was no reason for him to react at all, especially not like that.
Unfortunately, every time Charlie leaned over to ask, the teacher monitoring them (a different man with much less hair) would threaten to add another fifteen minutes to their (Nick’s) sentence, and Charlie was forced to be quiet.
When he finally let them go home, it was late and based on the low roar from the roof outside, it was still raining. Nick and Charlie headed out together, both without saying anything, and although it looked coincidental, it was obvious that Charlie was following him.
Nick didn’t seem to mind, walking ahead but maintaining a slow pace as if wanting Charlie to stay close behind him. In fact, he moved like he was used to Charlie being there which made Charlie feel like him being with Nick was normal.
If only it was.
The question sat unmoved on his tongue as they walked through the school together with their school bags and sensitive egos. He could tell by the way that Nick wouldn’t look at him that he didn’t want him to ask him about it, but he had to…
They made it to the school entrance without saying a word. The buses had all already run for the day and Charlie supposed Nick would drive himself home so he decided to call his dad to come get him so he wouldn’t have to walk home in the rain. When it was time to part ways, Nick walked away from the parking lot.
“Where are you going?” Charlie called out from under the awning. “You’re going to get all wet!”
Nick looked up at the sky with a faint smile and raised his arms up at it, embracing the downpour like an old friend.
“I’m already all wet; what’s the difference?”
He had a point. Once he stepped out, he was drenched, and it wasn’t like he could get more or less soaked no matter which way he went.
“You coming?”
Charlie swallowed. He never expected an invitation, but this was his chance. He just didn’t want the free bath that came with it.
“Char,” the older boy teased, shuffling like a fool to taunt him.
Charlie’s heart jumped at the use of a nickname, but he supposed it was Nick's right since he fought for him (and won). His chest tightened. If he knew what it was like to have a crush on someone, this was probably it.
“Scared of a little water? What are you, a house cat?”
Charlie rolled his eyes, but if he meant to be stubborn, his legs weren’t listening. With two wobbly steps, he propelled himself forward into the rain to follow Nick.
Fortunately, the longer he walked in it, the less annoying it was. Or Nick’s nonchalant personality was contagious, but that wasn’t something he wanted to think too deeply about.
“Where are we going?”
Nick pointed towards the rugby pitch ahead, making Charlie’s stomach sink with nerves. Wouldn’t they get in trouble? He doubted two detentions in one week would bode well for Nick, and even if technically it would only be Charlie’s first, he didn’t want to get in trouble at all.
They walked towards the centre of the field with Charlie still following behind. The rain eased up to something they didn’t have to shout over but puddles of rainwater already pooled in the grass, causing his shoes to squish into the damp ground.
To Charlie’s surprise, Nick dropped his things and laid down on his back comfortably. He smiled as the rain splashed down on his face and Charlie wondered what it was like to feel that free.
Charlie sat down next to him and looked down at his hands while he gathered his courage.
“Thank you,” Charlie finally said.
“No need to thank me.”
“Sure I do. No one’s ever done something like that for me before, and you could have gotten in trouble.”
Nick laughed. “I did get in trouble.”
“Bigger trouble.”
Nick hummed, amused. “So don’t thank me so I won’t want to do it again.”
Charlie’s lips thinned and Nick laughed.
“It’s not a big deal, okay? He had it coming.”
“It is a big deal. Just let me say thank you,” Charlie huffed.
Nick scrunched his nose and shook his head.
“Thank you,” Charlie barked, sounding more like a command than an expression of gratitude, and Nick laughed even more brightly.
“Alright! Alright,” Nick conceded, swatting at him. “You’re welcome.”
Charlie smiled to himself, content. It made him feel brave. Brave enough to ask what he had wanted all day.
“Why did you do it?”
Nick sighed deeply and closed his eyes. “I don’t know. That guy’s been bothering you for a while and I guess I've had enough.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was Nick’s turn to look at him with a thinned mouth, a slight furrow to his brow. “I didn’t think anyone noticed.”
“Of course people noticed,” Nick almost exclaimed. “You’re the prettiest guy in the whole school and he’s an idiot who thinks he has the right to fuck with you. But it shouldn’t happen again, so don’t worry about it.”
“How do you know it won’t happen again?” Charlie asked, purposefully ignoring everything else Nick said.
“It’s pretty hard to bother someone when he's got both teeth knocked out,” he considered.
Charlie snorted. “I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Yes you should,” Nick insisted kindly.
“Why’s that?”
“Because I like your laugh and it makes me feel like I did the right thing.”
Charlie cleared his throat in an attempt to hide how flustered he was. “I don’t know if it was the right thing, but I’m glad you did it anyway.”
Nick closed his eyes again like he meant to take a nap. Charlie hung his head and smiled to himself, enjoying the flutter in his chest that came from being next to him.
It was quiet for a while as Charlie thought and Nick rested, but then more questions came, and he no longer hesitated to ask them.
“Do you do this often? Schoolyard vigilante justice?”
Nick laughed and shook his head. “I’ve never been in a fight before, actually.”
“Really? You did a really good job for your first time…”
“Thank you.”
“But why?”
“Ahh,” Nick sighed. “I saw your face and I didn’t like it.”
“You don’t like my face?” Charlie giggled, trying to tease Nick.
“No, I like it a lot actually,” the older boy admitted seriously. “I just saw how upset you were, and I didn’t want it to happen again. So now it won’t.”
Charlie ignored the compliment in favour of the shame he felt for being so weak in public. He should have been stronger than that. He shouldn’t have cared. He should have stuck up for himself for once.
“Hey, look, if it makes you feel any better,” Nick started before trailing off.
“What?” Charlie swallowed anxiously.
“...I forgot what I was going to say.”
“Oh my god,” Charlie groaned.
“It’s the pain medicine,” Nick whined pitifully. “You’re lucky I’m not out here chasing zebras.”
Charlie winced and glanced at his busted fist and bruising eye. He must have been in a lot of pain to need medicine that could make him see zebras. “Does it hurt?”
“You should see the other guy.” Nick grinned.
“I did see the other guy,” Charlie replied smartly.
“I’m sorry you had to,” Nick apologised sadly. “I don’t want you to think I’m that kind of person…”
“I don’t,” Charlie assured him, fiddling with the grass near his crossed legs. “Why do you care what I think anyway?”
Nick looked at him without saying anything, a slight flush to his ears that was barely noticeable in the low light. Charlie’s stomach flipped as he felt his own face turn red.
Oh.
“I know you’re not,” Charlie assured him quietly, letting the question he blurted out fall unanswered.
“How do you know?”
“Because you looked like you were close to crying when your pen exploded.”
Nick huffed in mock offence. “I wasn’t gonna cry!”
“You were covered in blue and you were so frustrated because you couldn't hold the door open!” Charlie shouted.
“I can’t believe you were watching me, saw me struggle, and didn’t think to help!”
Nick broke out into a flurry of giggles, embarrassed by the memory, but it was cut short by a hiss in pain as he pulled open a cut in his lip that none of them noticed was actually big. “Ah! Damn it.”
Charlie’s chest ached. Even though he pretended to be all smiles, he was probably in a lot of pain and it was all Charlie’s fault. He was grateful but he regretted it so much.
How could he ever return this kindness?
Something brave and stupid stirred inside him.
Charlie pushed himself up onto his knees, ignoring how the water on the ground soaked through the fabric to his skin. He moved towards him, and Nick paused to ask what he was doing, but Charlie didn’t want to stop and lose his nerve.
He bent down and planted a soft and chaste kiss on the lips of the man lying on the wet, grassy land, not using enough pressure to be satisfying for either of them because he didn’t want it to hurt. But Nick pressed up to meet him in a way that shot directly to his chest. Charlie inhaled sharply as he let his lips part to kiss him again once he was sure the other boy wanted him to, supporting Nick’s head in his hand as he craned up for him.
It took everything Charlie had to ignore the urge to kiss him properly like he wanted to but he managed to pull himself back since Nick was injured. It was only supposed to be a show of gratitude, after all.
He just happened to be grateful for a lot and apparently, you kiss people stupid to thank them.
“You know,” Nick sat up, his elbows supporting his weight, his cheeks flushed, and brown eyes hazy. “If I was your boyfriend, I would get in fights for you all the time.”
Charlie visibly cringed and covered his face. His knight in shining armour was the worst.
“It was worth a shot,” Nick sighed, flopping back down the field with a soft thud.
Charlie laid down next to him, drained. He looked over but Nick avoided his gaze, probably kicking himself for being so cheesy. “That wasn’t a no.”
Nick turned towards him and raised a brow. “You wanna go out with me sometime?”
“Maybe,” Charlie said, holding back an excited smile, his chest ready to burst.
“What would make a good first date for you? I want to leave a good impression.”
Charlie smiled. “Then I guess it would have to be detention.”
Nick seemed pleased with that.
“Maybe a second date then?” Nick asked. He turned Charlie’s jaw towards him and glanced down at his lips. “Can I have another kiss while I think about it? You know, for inspiration?”
Charlie laughed and nodded shyly, letting himself be kissed clumsily but carefully by someone who, for all his outward coolness and valour, still trembled against his mouth.
. . . . . ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ,,
“So when are you free?” Nick pulled away from Charlie to catch his breath so he wouldn’t get too carried away. He touched his mouth idly, not sure if the tingling he felt was because he finally knew what his long time crush’s lips tasted like or if it was the after effects of being elbowed in the face by one of his classmates who tried to break off the fight earlier.
“Now,” Charlie swallowed, looking up at him with the most beautiful sparkling blue eyes he’d ever seen.
Charlie’s curly hair was soaked, and his high cheeks held a soft rosiness that made him look even more like an angel than he did when he walked through the halls, too pretty for anyone to ever have the courage to speak to him. Nick had wanted to a thousand times, but he knew he had a bad habit of making stupid jokes when he was nervous and he didn’t want Charlie to think he was a loser.
Unfortunately, Nick was always nervous around him so the chance never came.
But just because he was scared to talk to Charlie did not mean other people were allowed to disrespect him, and now that the message was out that Charlie was not to be messed with, he felt confident enough to linger around long enough to say a few more stupid things.
Nick hung his head and sucked his teeth. “I don’t think that’ll work for me.”
“Oh.” Charlie paled and sat up, brushing himself off like he had been rejected. “I get it.”
“I mean,” Nick reached out, sitting up, and took his hand. “I don’t think my mum is going to let me out of the house for a few weeks after Uncle Marcus calls her and tells her he had to give me detention for this.”
Charlie’s mouth dropped. “Uncle?”
“Yeah,” Nick laughed, scratching the side of his neck with his free hand. “Don’t tell anyone though, please? It’s kind of a secret.”
“Kind of,” Charlie repeated. “I feel like this is a plot twist.”
Nick laughed brightly and took both of Charlie’s hands in his. “It’s just to make things easier for both of us so no one thinks he gives me special treatment.”
Charlie raised his brow. “You started a fight and didn’t get kicked out.”
“I was defending! Your honour! And I got detention.” Nick pouted, trying to look like a puppy.
Charlie laughed. “Is that what you were doing? Defending my honour?”
“Of course,” Nick said quietly.
“Well thank you,” Charlie leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Nick’s whole body warmed. It was like every kiss made him forget the pain in his hand and mouth and eye, and softened him to the core.
He hoped they never ended.
“Hey,” Nick said quietly, turning slightly. Charlie raised his brows in confusion before he muttered a quiet oh, immediately getting what Nick was silently asking for. He moved towards Nick and kissed the unmarked corner of his mouth carefully, treating Nick like he was the one who took the beating, but he won, if he recalled. He scrunched his nose and shook his head. “Is that all?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Charlie looked down.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Nick promised, slowly reaching out to cup the side of Charlie's face. “It makes it better, really.”
“Really?”
“Mhm,” Nick hummed as he nodded, his fingers toying with Charlie's wet curls. “Please?”
“Okay,” Charlie said softly and kissed him again, smiling against his mouth.
But then reality hit and a wave of self consciousness took over. “Are you only doing this because you feel like you have to?”
“No!” Charlie pulled away. “Does it feel like it?”
“No, I just wanted to be sure,” he said.
Charlie stood up to his feet and he regretted asking at all. He finally got his moment after years (yes, Nick has been harbouring this crush for years and yes, he knew how pathetic he is, thank you), and it was over because of his stupid self doubts. He reached down to him though, to Nick’s surprise.
“Come on, let’s get you home so I can tell your mum you’re actually a hero.”
Nick blinked. “You’re gonna what?”
“You’re going to go home and act like nothing happened, and she’s gonna get mad when really you were just being a good person,” Charlie ordered. “And then when she sees how great I am, she’ll let me come stay with you after school while you’re grounded.”
He let himself be lifted up and giggled. “You’ve got a lot of balls, you know? You don’t even know her yet,” he said, even though he was sure that his mum would love Charlie immediately after introducing them to each other.
“I’ve gotta defend your honour,” the younger boy said, then sheepishly added, “you know, as your boyfriend, I guess.”
Nick almost screamed. “Wait, that was a yes? Really? I'm your boyfriend now?”
“Yes, you idiot.” Charlie swatted at him playfully, so tiny and full of rage. “Come on, you’re going to get sick.”
“Will you take care of me if I do?” Nick asked annoyingly as he followed him out, clinging onto Charlie like they had been close for years and not silently pining from a distance.
“I already have to take care of you.” Charlie rolled his eyes, letting Nick wrap himself around his arm. “You’ve gone and gotten yourself all busted up, and now I have to patch you up.”
“Hey,” Nick whined. “That was for you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Charlie said, flushing. “I know.”
“As long as you know.”
“I think the whole school knows.”
Nick giggled. “That was pretty cool of me, wasn’t it?”
Charlie eyed him sharply and Nick almost cooed because he looked like an angry kitten about to hiss.
“Wasn’t it?” Nick pestered him, squeezing Charlie’s arm more and using his other hand to poke Charlie's cheek.
Charlie half laughed in disbelief. “Yeah, it was cool. You looked like a proper gangster to them when you’re here cuddling me like a panda. What would your mates say if they saw you now?”
“As long as you think I’m a cool boyfriend,” Nick said with pride, enjoying the visual of a blush not leaving Charlie’s face. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”
“Your place,” Charlie insisted.
“Oh, you were serious?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t keep you out of detention, but I can at least apologise to your mum for causing you both so much trouble.”
Nick’s face softened. “You really don’t have to—”
“And then bandage up my boyfriend so he doesn’t scar,” Charlie smiled fondly.
“Okay,” Nick agreed quietly with a warm smile. “I guess that part is fine.”
Charlie hummed as they walked hand in hand to Nick’s car, their wet clothes clinging onto them because they were fools for not going home earlier. But if they had (or if Nick had been brave enough to face his mum immediately after school), he wouldn’t have gotten to kiss Charlie, and as it turned out, after waiting for so long to try it, he liked kissing Charlie very much.