Chapter Text
“Charlie?” Nick is standing in front of the full-length mirror in the closet of their shared flat, playing with his hair.
Charlie is at his desk, scrolling through his work emails. He gives a disinterested hum in response. He’s busy and Nick knows that, but he’ll humor him anyway.
“Do you think I look gay?”
Charlie looks up at his best friend suddenly and huffs out a little chuckle. “Nicholas, gay isn’t a look. Though if you’re talking about that cardigan, I don’t think you look very straight.”
Nick huffs, falling down on his bed. “It’s just something my dad said. It’s been bothering me.”
Charlie closes his laptop and swivels around in his desk chair to look at his friend. “What’d he say?”
“He doesn’t really believe I’m bi because I’ve never actually dated a guy.”
Charlie looks amused. “I’ve certainly seen you snog enough guys to know you’re definitely bi. Besides, you don’t need to prove anything to him.”
Nick sighs. “I know that, I just–I don’t like people questioning me. It’s just easier with girls. I know how to ask them out and most of them want relationships. Every guy I’ve ever liked hasn’t been interested in anything long term.”
“Because you have horrible taste in men.” Charlie quips, making Nick smack his arm.
“Don’t talk to me about horrible taste when your last boyfriend was a total asshole.”
Charlie rolls his eyes. “For the last time, Noah wasn’t an asshole. He was just jealous of you and you didn’t discourage him.”
Nick shrugs. “Maybe he should be more confident in your relationship. I know I’m beautiful, but you’re really not my type, Charles.”
Charlie glares at him playfully. “Oh, I know. Your type is muscly closeted sports jocks.”
“So your type in secondary?”
Charlie rolls his eyes, swiveling back to his computer. “At least my taste has aged with me, unlike some dickhead in a rainbow cardigan.”
“Hey,” Nick pouts. “My mum bought me this.”
“I know. She bought me a matching one.” Charlie says, going back to his work.
Nick lays down. “I fear she may always think we’re dating.”
“You didn’t quite dispel the rumours by moving in with me.”
“My lease was up. It seemed like a good idea at the time. If I had known you would be bullying me every day I would have shacked up with Tao.” Nick says, making Charlie laugh.
“It’s been a decade and he still barely tolerates you.”
“I think I’m growing on him, actually.”
Charlie goes along typing as he speaks to his roommate. “In all seriousness, I mean it. You don’t prove anything to him. You don’t have to date men to know you’re attracted to them, and I know you’re always looking for your dad’s approval, but you don’t need it.”
Nick just sighs in response, letting Charlie’s words settle in for a bit. He knows realistically that he shouldn’t care, but it’s just not possible. It doesn’t matter that his dad and David don’t accept his sexuality. He always feels like he has to prove something to them. After all, they’re still his family. Yes, their views are so antiquated, but he still loves them despite their naivety. He turns his head and looks over at Charlie.
Charlie has been his best friend for over a decade now. They’re both adults now, but they’ve been so close for so long. They’re that success story of school friends who managed to keep their friendship. He credits Charlie for helping him come to terms with his sexuality. Charlie was the first out person he ever met and getting to know him really solidified that he was a lot more like him than most of his supposed mates. After he came out, a lot of his former friends showed their true colors and he realized that Charlie was a real friend. He stuck through all the rumours and slurs and fights. When someone would call him Nick’s boyfriend, he’d just brush it off. Nick was so grateful for him. He didn’t think he’d ever love or respect someone as much as he did Charlie.
He often called Charlie his platonic soulmate, and he meant that. If there was ever anyone he was always supposed to have in his life, it was going to be Charlie. But because of that, there was still quite a bit of teasing from their friends that they should just date each other. Both of them always brushed it off, but Nick wouldn’t say he never thought about it. He wasn’t blind. Charlie was really attractive and they’d had a few moments where it looked like something might happen between them in their long friendship–but they were just moments. Nick thinks he’s always been attracted to Charlie, but he wasn’t ever going to admit that.
In his subconscious ramble of thoughts, his brain to mouth ratio failed and before he knew it, he was spitting out, “Would you be my boyfriend?”
Charlie chokes on the bit of water he had just sipped and coughs, looking at his best friend like he’s crazy. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Nick blanches, but quickly twists around. “Think about it, my mum already thinks we’re together and everyone’s getting together for Christmas. What if I just call you my boyfriend and prove to my dad that I’m bi?”
Charlie sighs. “Nicholas, that’s… a very complicated plan. Have you not watched a single rom-com? These fake dating plots always go south.”
“But usually they’re strangers or plain enemies and we’re best friends. If anyone knows me enough to do this, it’s you.”
“Well, maybe I wanted to go round my parents for the holidays.”
Nick stares at him pointedly. “No, you don’t, liar.”
“Okay, maybe not, but do you really want to lie to your mum?” Charlie asks.
“Well, no, but she already thinks we’re together. What’s the harm in letting her keep believing it?”
Charlie gives him a playful glare. “If this is your way of trying to declare your undying love for me, you’re about ten years too late.”
The comment forms a bubble in Nick’s chest. Even just the idea that he might have had a chance with Charlie once was enough to set his veins on fire, but he mostly knew that Charlie was just joking. He was the closest to a boyfriend that Nick had ever had. It’s not that he hadn’t tried to meet guys and have committed relationships. It’s just that he only ever met other guys at bars (i.e. guys only looking to score) and at rugby practice (i.e. mostly homophobic assholes). His options were pretty limited, so he filled a majority of that hole with Charlie. Charlie was who he took out to restaurants to try out new menus, who came round to his mum’s house on Sundays for brunch, who dragged him to the flea market once a month to scope out new things for their home. They cooked dinner together and watched films snuggled up on the couch. They shared a one bedroom flat with just two twin beds. They’d seen each other in every state of dress and undress–taken care of each other when ill. They did everything that couples were supposed to, just without all the sexy parts. Surely they could fake it for one family dinner.
Nick sat back up. “C’mon, Char. Think about it. How many times have I pretended to be your boyfriend?”
Charlie scoffs. “Literally only when I’m trying to ward off creeps in clubs.”
“But the argument still stands! I am always your go-to fake boyfriend. You could just as easily pick Tao or Aled or–”
“We live together and you take up ninety percent of my camera roll, photo slut.” Charlie deadpans, the endearment sickeningly sweet despite its connotation.
Nick points at his best friend. “See, we’re perfect together, Charles. We even have nicknames.”
“I hate you.” Charlie gripes as Nick moves off of the bed and sinks down onto his knees in front of him, his hands clasped together and begging.
“Please please please, Char! Just one dinner and then we can break up. You’re my only hope.” Nick pouts, soft eyes as his bottom lip dips out.
Charlie sighs, looking down at his best friend and grimaces. “Fine, fine! Just… get off the floor. You look stupid.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Nick grins, wrapping his arms around Charlie tightly. “You’re the best friend in the whole wide world.”
“Yeah, I know. Now can you please leave me alone so I get back to work?”
Nick salutes him, falling back onto his bed. “You got it, boss.”
Nick stays silent, letting Charlie read over his latest manuscript as he pulls out his phone to text his mother.
hi mum! just wanted to let you know that i’m bringing char to xmas… as my boyfriend! Lots of love xx.