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There was a hot boy sitting with Nick’s group at the pool.
Nick had been running late to meet up with Tara, Darcy, and Sahar at the local pool. Normally, that wouldn’t matter too much, but today was the day he was finally able to join the combined friend group the girls had made with their new friend, Elle’s, friends and Nick didn’t want to seem flaky.
However, Nellie didn’t care about Nick’s plans and decided she needed an extra long walk that day, meaning Nick left his house a whole fifteen minutes after he had originally planned. The new community pool was only a few blocks from his house, so he wasn’t that late, all things considered, but he still appeared to be the last one to arrive.
He’d heard a lot about all of the new people he was set to meet from Tara, Darcy, and Sahar; they’d all been hanging out most of the spring while Nick was busy with rugby practice. He knew most of them actually went to Truham, but they were all a year below him, and he didn’t recognize any names.
But now he was hovering in the exit of the locker room, looking over his group and wishing desperately that he had paid more attention to the boys in the year below. Or at least more attention to this particular boy because he was heartstoppingly gorgeous.
Nick stood stock still, fully transfixed, as he watched this lithe and angular boy giggle at something Darcy had said, dimples appearing on his cheeks and his unruly black curls bobbing on his head. It felt like everything around him slowed down and blurred, making him the only true thing Nick could focus on — and honestly, he may be the only thing Nick ever wanted to focus on again.
“Nick! You made it!” Tara waved him over wildly, standing so she could meet him partway.
He ducked his head when he got close to her, whispering, “Tara, the most beautiful person I’ve literally ever seen is just casually sitting over there with you all, and I am woefully unprepared.”
Tara’s eyes widened. “Who?!”
“I don’t know, I haven’t figured out whose face goes with what name. The beautiful one. With the dimples and the curls and the — oh god — brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.” Nick had glanced up quickly and immediately got distracted by the boy’s eyes, alight in laughter and sparkling blindingly.
A wicked grin grew on Tara’s face, but Nick couldn’t even fully process the consequences of such an expression, too overwhelmed by this perfect boy. “Oh, Charlie! Hm, you know, you are kind of his type.”
Nick choked on air and turned his gaze back to Tara. “Don’t make fun of me like that.”
“I’m not! He is gay. And okay, maybe I don’t actually know his type, but you’re great! So why wouldn’t he like you?”
“Ha! A boy like that is almost comically out of my league.”
Tara raised an eyebrow. “Nick, at least three people have done double-takes when seeing you just since we’ve been talking.”
Nick waved her off dismissively, focusing back on the group.
“Oi, Nelson! Quit hogging my girlfriend and come join us!” Darcy’s yell brought everyone’s attention to Nick, prompting an immediate blush to colour his cheeks.
“C’mon, they’ll love you.” Tara led him over with a comforting hand on his shoulder, helping him feel a bit more grounded.
He stopped in front of the group, towering over all of them, suddenly feeling very on display. Trying his best to stand in a way that didn’t come off as threatening or hulking, he gave an awkward little wave. “Hi. Um, I’m Nick.”
As most of the new people gawked at him, a girl, who he could only assume was Elle, stood as well, reaching out a hand to lead him closer and invite him into the group. “Hi! I feel like I’ve heard so much about you from that lot.” She gestured towards Tara, Darcy, and Sahar. “I’m Elle. Come, join us!”
Elle pulled him to sit down in the circle they’d made, placing him in between her and Charlie. Nick was suddenly hyper aware of just how close he was to touching any part of Charlie and tried to shrink in on himself just a bit, just to make sure he didn’t make this mystifying boy uncomfortable.
“This is Tao, Aled, Isaac, and Charlie.” Elle pointed to each boy as she spoke. Tao scowled, but everyone else smiled and nodded, muttering some kind of greeting.
Nick knew his gaze lingered just a bit longer on Charlie, but he was somehow even more beautiful up close, and his voice was sweet and melodic, and having his smile focused solely on Nick was almost overwhelming.
Darcy cleared her throat, “So anyway, as I was saying before the rugby lad decided to stumble in twenty minutes late—”
“It was because of Nellie! You can’t deny Nellie what she wants,” Nick interjected.
“Okay, well, yes, that’s true, I guess! You should have brought her. As an apology.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
Darcy huffed. “Fine! Anyway, I can do a handstand underwater for a full minute. And I dare any of you to challenge me!”
At the end of her statement, she tore off her coverup, clearly for the dramatic effect, and walked directly into the pool.
Everyone laughed, and most people got up to join her, Isaac retreating to a lounge chair with a book, only Nick and Charlie staying behind on the towels..
Okay, this was it. Nick was now alone with Charlie. They hadn’t actually spoken to each other yet, but they were there in the same group and were now sat side by side, watching their friends.
He just had to make sure he didn’t blurt out something like you’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever seen or can I list all the reasons that you should let me date you?
“Not a swimmer?”
Oh.
Charlie was reclined back, balanced on his elbows and looking up at Nick, an easy smile and soft pink blush in his face.
Nick gulped and slowly leaned back to mirror Charlie’s position. “Maybe later. I just got here, and my sunscreen probably hasn’t set in yet.” Sheepishly, Nick indicated his pale arms. “The dangers of being a ginger.”
Charlie’s gaze lingered for a moment on Nick’s forearms, and he nodded absentmindedly.
“What about you? Not a swimmer?”
“Oh, um.” Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and scrunched up his face. He blew out a breath and opened his eyes again, the striking blue catching Nick off guard. “I don’t like… it’s sometimes really uncomfortable for me to take my shirt off.”
Nick thought about all the times he felt self-conscious in the locker room or the days when he wished he wasn’t so big. “Yeah, I think I get that.”
Charlie cocked his head in question. “You’re not going to tell me that’s dumb or claim it’s not a big deal?”
“No.” Nick furrowed his eyebrows. “Do people tell you that?” Charlie shrugged. “I mean, I think you probably look great, but how you look doesn’t matter if you’re uncomfortable.”
Nick realised what he said a second too late, flushing red and avoiding eye contact.
“Thank you,” Charlie whispered so quietly that Nick almost didn’t hear it. “People usually dismiss it, thinking that’s the best thing to do. So thank you for… understanding.”
“N–no problem.” Nick felt like he was sweating, Charlie’s voice so soft and sweet that it filled him up with too many feelings.
“So.” Charlie awkwardly leaned over to knock his shoulder into Nick’s arm. “You’ve never hung out with all of us before. Tara, Darcy, and Sahar always talk about you, but since you never joined us, I was beginning to think they made you up.”
Nick laughed lightly. “Nope, I’m very real. I just got done with the rugby season so I have free time again.”
“And… Nellie? Does she occupy a lot of your time?” Charlie wasn’t looking at Nick anymore, eyes fixed on some spot in the distance.
“I guess? But she’s not the reason I’ve been busy.”
Charlie nodded. “So she’s your… girlfriend?”
The laugh that burst forth from Nick was far too loud, but he couldn’t help it, so caught off guard by Charlie’s question. Charlie turned to him in surprise, eyes wide in bewilderment at the reaction.
“Sorry, sorry! Uh, no. Nellie is my dog.”
“Oh,” Charlie breathed out. “I… oh.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Nick saw Charlie’s eyes soften. “Or a boyfriend. Or any partner.”
“Oh. But you’d be… amenable to that? To a partner of any gender?”
Nick wanted to reply: are you offering?
Instead, he said: “Yeah, I think so. I’m bisexual, so that’s the idea, I guess.”
“Oh, yeah, cool.” Charlie’s voice was a bit raspier than it had been. He cleared his throat.
“What about you?” Nick swallowed hard, trying to rid the nervous lump in his throat.
“No, I’m sort of all about the boys.”
Nick was aware that triumphantly punching the air was not the correct reaction when someone came out to him, but he still had to fight down that urge. Charlie liked boys, and Nick was, in fact, a boy.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching their friends and occasionally exchanging smiles. Nick felt so giddy and nervous next to Charlie, so acutely aware of everything he did and how Charlie might perceive it.
“You’re kind of famous, you know.” Charlie laid all the way down, resting on the towel below him, shielding his eyes from the sun.
Nick looked down at him, at his golden skin illuminated in the glow, at his fanned out hair, at his stretched out form, so wiry and delicate. He wondered what good deeds he must have done in a past life to have this moment right now with this perfect boy.
“How so?”
“Well, for one, everyone at Truham knows you. You’re the Rugby King. And Tara, Darcy, and Sahar sing your praises all the time.”
“They’re my best friends, that’s kind of the rules. I always gush about them too.”
“Some of my sister’s friends talk about you too. They all have crushes on you.”
“Your sister has a crush on me?” That would be horrifyingly awkward.
“Well, no. But it seems like she’s the only one.” Charlie closed his eyes and stretched in the sunlight, catlike and graceful. Nick’s breath hitched quietly. “Point is, I’ve heard a lot about you from lots of different people.”
“I hope I live up to the hype.”
Charlie shrugged, eyes still closed. “You’re doing pretty well right now.”
“Tell me about you.”
“Hm?” Charlie cracked one eye open to look at Nick.
“You apparently know a lot about me, I think it’s only fair I get to know about you.”
“I’m pretty boring.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. I’m sure you’re fascinating.”
And he was. He really, really was.
Nick thought he could listen to Charlie talk forever, about whatever he wanted. He was smart and funny and passionate, able to keep Nick interested as he talked about topics Nick had never found interesting before. Charlie excitedly gushed about his love of Classics and tried to teach Nick a basic drum beat using just their fingers and did his best to come up with book recommendations that might actually motivate Nick to want to read.
“Well, Charlie, I’ve learned that you are smarter than me, more talented than me, and just all together cooler than me. But I take comfort in knowing that I could probably beat you in a footrace or a game of Mario Kart.”
Charlie chuckled evilly. “Actually…”
Nick flopped down lightly with a groan of faux frustration. “Oh, so you’re just good at everything?”
“I’m definitely not.”
“Charlie, you’re easily the coolest person I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare sell yourself short.”
Nick looked over at Charlie to find him staring at Nick, mouth agape and eyes twinkling. If he were a character in one of the cheesy romance novels Sahar loved, this would be the moment he swooped down to kiss Charlie. But, alas, he could only stare back, trying to memorise every detail of Charlie.
Suddenly, his reverie was broken by a stream of water drops flying at his face. Tara, Darcy, and Sahar had snuck up behind him while he was mesmerised by Charlie and decided the best course of action would be to shake their wet hair at him.
“Oh, you’re all dead!” Nick rose and threw off his shirt all in one motion. He thought he saw Charlie’s eyes widen, but he was now focused on his new targets.
Quickly, he threw Darcy over one shoulder and Sahar over the other, dropping them both into the pool and turning back for Tara. She had taken the time during his revenge on Darcy and Sahar to get right behind him, tackling him in a hug and sending them both into the pool.
When all four resurfaced, they fell into a laughing fit, splashing and dunking each other as they fully gave into the giddiness of being together in such a carefree way.
“Ah, you’re my favourite people,” Nick sighed out as their laughter died down.
“Really? We haven’t been surpassed by Charlie?” Sahar wiggled her eyebrows, and Nick felt the full body flush come on.
“Not yet. But keep mocking me like that, and I may have a different answer.”
“I’m obsessed with that. He’s the best, you’re the best. I ship it.” Darcy collapsed backwards as she finished speaking, starfishing on her back.
Nick blushed and sunk down so his chin was submerged. He hoped the proximity to the water would disguise his flushed cheeks “You guys… You really think that’s a good idea?”
“What, you and Charlie?” Tara asked distractedly as she held onto Darcy's feet to lightly drag her through the water.
Nick’s nod brought his nose underwater, and he resisted the urge to cough.
“That’s an excellent idea.” Sahar moved to grab Darcy’s shoulders. “We obviously love you, and he’s great. Top notch match.”
“I called it,” Darcy garbled out.
Tara scoffed. “You for sure did not.”
“Okay, but I did say that this is the summer we find someone for Nicky and Sahar!”
“I wooed Christian all on my own, thank you very much.” Sahar tried to toss her hair over her shoulder, but the added weight from being wet made it sort of slap back on her shoulder instead.
“Nick and Charlie. It has a fantastic ring to it.”
As much as Nick often wrote off Darcy’s crazy notions, he couldn’t help but agree with that one.
🌸
They stayed in the water until Nick felt himself getting pruney. Charlie had joined everyone for a bit, smiling sheepishly when he jumped in with his t-shirt still on. Nick had returned the smile and splashed him lightly, hoping to diffuse some of the tension he seemed to be carrying. The giggles he received in response let him know he’d done something right.
As much as Nick wanted to focus all of his attention on Charlie, he didn’t want to come off as desperate or anything. So he’d let Charlie joke with his friends, unable to not sneak a glance at him every so often.
Nick was balancing on just his hands in a shallower part, enjoying the sunbeams hitting his face, when he felt the water shift next to him. Probably Sahar coming to chastise him for exposing his pale skin in such a way.
“Look, I know, I shouldn’t be in this much direct sunlight. But it feels so lovely, and I used really strong sunscreen today.”
“Plus, you look kind of cute with pink cheeks.” That voice and the accompanying laugh did not belong to Sahar.
He snapped his eyes open and looked to his left, immediately making eye contact with a mirthful Charlie. His curls were wet, plastered to his forehead, and his eyes shone even brighter in the contrast of the pool.
“I, um, thought you were Sahar. She always gets on me about being too pale to sunbathe.” Nick tried to subtly fix his hair, hoping he didn’t look like a drowned rat.
“She just cares about you.” Charlie knocked his shoulder against Nick’s. “I kind of agree with her.”
“My own personal medical team.”
Charlie shrugged. “Something like that.”
They floated in silence for a bit, the only awkwardness coming from Nick’s internal conflict over whether he should reach out for Charlie’s hand or not. It was nice, just being together. Nick loved talking to Charlie, but he found his most cherished relationships thrived in the in betweens, the comfort of just existing next to a person he cared about.
Suddenly, as they floated, a thought occurred to Nick. “Do you have another shirt?”
Charlie furrowed his brow. “Hm?”
“You’re wearing the same shirt you had on outside of the pool. I’d hate for you to have to wait for it to dry. That can’t be comfortable.”
“Oh, I—“
“You can borrow my shirt, if you want. It’ll be big on you, but I’m okay with just my zip up.” Nick knew he was rambling, but he couldn’t seem to hold back around Charlie. He wanted to say everything to him.
“You’d let a random guy you just met borrow your shirt?” Charlie’s tone tried to convey humour, but Nick noticed something like awe in his expression.
“No,” Charlie’s face fell just slightly. “But I’d let you borrow it.”
Charlie’s face was a delightful red now, and Nick didn’t think the sun could be held responsible.
“You’re very charming, Nick Nelson.”
“Not usually.”
They held each other’s gaze for a moment, Nick trying to communicate to Charlie just how different Nick felt around him. He wanted Charlie to sense how special he was to him.
“Oi, mermen!” Darcy’s shout jolted them both back to the present. “You gonna stay in there all day?”
Charlie scrambled up. “No, no. Sorry, no.” He exited the pool but not before throwing a quick glance at Nick over his shoulder.
Nick stayed in the water for a couple more minutes, needing to decompress after all the emotions he unexpectedly felt today. He wondered if meeting Charlie was some kind of destiny, something cosmic that was bound to happen eventually. How else could he explain how perfectly everything had come together? What other explanation could there be for how well they seemed to fit?
When Nick finally got out of the pool and rejoined his friends, Charlie wasn’t there. He tried to keep the disappointment off his face, but Elle must have noticed anyway because she mentioned he’d just gone to change into a dry shirt. Nick surreptitiously looked to where he’d left his shirt, trying not to be too upset that it was still there. He threw it on, hoping that may make him stop thinking about Charlie wearing it.
“I’m going to get something from concession.” That would momentarily take his mind off of Charlie. “Anyone want anything?”
A chorus of no’s rang out as he stood. He was glad for that, not actually wanting to be responsible for remembering all of his friends’ orders.
Nick walked around the corner towards the concession stand but stopped short, seeing the window closed. He sighed, spinning back around only to almost collide with Charlie.
“Oh! Sorry! Stand’s closed, it looks like. So if you were looking to get snacks, no luck.” Nick tried to focus on anything other than their proximity, but he couldn’t seem to think clearly with Charlie so close.
“No, I was just…” Charlie trailed off, eyes searching Nick’s face. Nick didn’t know what he was looking for, but he tried to convey how happy and excited Charlie made him feel just by being in his space.
And then, before Nick could even process what was happening, Charlie’s hands were on his cheeks, pulling him down to connect their lips.
Nick responded immediately, hugging Charlie tightly around the waist, lifting him slightly. He pushed against Charlie’s lips, tilting and chasing and taking. What he lacked in experience, he hoped he made up for with enthusiasm.
As if answering Nick’s anxious question, Charlie moved his hands to rest behind Nick’s neck and made some hybrid sigh/giggle noise as he shifted the angle.
They stumbled backwards, Nick finding his back against the wall of the pool house, Charlie keeping him in place. It sent a jolt of electricity through his veins.
As their makeout died down, still exhilarating and passionate but far less frantic, Nick was able to gasp out, eyes closed in bliss: “you’re so beautiful. Charlie, you’re the most beautiful.”
Charlie dove back in, a disbelieving moan escaping his mouth right before their lips met again. Nick brought up a hand to lightly fist in Charlie’s hair, revelling in the softness and texture.
He pulled on the hair, just a bit, and that seemed to shock Charlie back to reality, causing him to pull back in alarm, scrambling backwards and tucking his hands behind his back.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t— I should have asked.” Charlie’s eyes were wide and fixed on the ground, his face ghostly pale. “I didn’t mean to just throw myself at you. There’s no way you wanted that. I’m so sorry.”
“Charlie—”
“I— I— I’ve had this dumb crush on you forever, and whenever Tara, Darcy, and Sahar would talk about you, I would add to the fantasy. I built you up in my mind and never thought we’d actually ever meet. Except you’re here. And you’re even better than I had imagined. And I thought— Tao thinks I build things up in my head, but I thought you maybe liked me too.”
“Charlie—”
“I’m so sorry!”
Nick cupped Charlie’s head in his hands, titling his face up so he could fully look him in the eyes. “Charlie, I wish I had known who you were before today. I wanted to kiss you too.”
To emphasise his point, Nick leaned back in to reconnect their lips, lightly stroking Charlie’s cheeks. Charlie’s hands came up to fist in the back of Nick’s t-shirt, gripping him tightly as if scared he may disappear.
They kissed for what could have been hours, lost in each other. Charlie’s wet curls dragged along Nick’s cheek as they pressed together, the chill of the water cooling Nick’s flaming blush. He wondered if they could just stay like this forever, embracing in private, no one else in the world able to disturb them; he thought that might be the best way to spend his time.
Eventually, they pulled back, just enough to catch their breath but keeping faces close, noses just touching. “You free later?” Nick nudged Charlie’s nose with his own to punctuate his question.
“Yeah,” Charlie breathed out, so shallow and low, sending a thrill through Nick.
“I’d like to take you out. As wonderful as that was, I really loved talking to you today. So… I mean…” Nick had never asked anyone out before, and the surge of confidence he’d had from their makeout waned as he realised how lame he must sound. Would Charlie even want more than this? Maybe he thought Nick was just some bumbling rugby lad who he only wanted to kiss, not actually date.
“Like a date?” Charlie’s voice was lilting, so full of what Nick desperately wanted to be hope.
“Like a date.” His voice shook just slightly, Charlie’s apparent excitement reinvigorating his confidence.
“Yes!” Charlie laughed, ducking his head down and turning his forehead into Nick’s neck. Nick revelled in the feel of Charlie’s curls there. “I sound so uncool. I’d like to say I’m much more chill about it than that response made it seem, but we both know I’m not.”
“I’m not chill about it either. Definitely not chill about it at all.”
Charlie raised his head, mouth opening to respond when— “Nick? Charlie? Are you guys o—” Sahar appeared around the corner, concern morphing into delighted surprise, “kay? Oh my god!”
“Sahar, I—”
“Oh my god, yes! I knew it! I knew once you two met, it was bound to happen. You’re too perfect for each other for it not to happen. Tara was convinced it would take you both longer to get over the whole pining thing, but Darcy was so sure it was happening today.” Sahar tended to ramble when she got excited, and Nick took great comfort in his friend’s enthusiasm.
Nick chuckled. “What were the stakes?”
“Tara has to let Darcy choose the next three movies they watch together.”
“Oof, brutal.” Sahar nodded in agreement. A soft pinch to his side brought Nick’s attention back to Charlie, who was blushing bright red and hiding his face in Nick’s shoulder. “We’ll be back in a sec. No blabbing! Let us tell everyone.”
Sahar raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. I will be silent as a mouse.” She grinned wide and disappeared back behind the corner.
“You okay?”
“Honestly, Sahar was best case scenario. Still a bit embarrassed though.”
Something roiled in Nick’s stomach. “Of me?”
Charlie pulled back, eyes wide. “God, no! Just at being caught in general. If anything, I’m feeling a bit proud that it’s you.” He smiled cheekily, a glint of mirth in his eyes.
“I see how it is, then. I’m just a pretty face to you.” Nick wrapped his arms around Charlie, matching his grin.
“No! You have a great body too.” Charlie gave him an exaggerated once-over.
“And here I thought you liked me for my mind.”
“That too.” Charlie placed a lingering peck on Nick’s lips, sighing as he pulled away. “We should head back over. I don’t want to make Sahar have to stall too long.”
Nick loosened his arms, releasing Charlie from their embrace. Once they’d become two distinct people again, Charlie grabbed Nick’s hand, lacing their fingers together.
“Yeah?” Nick asked, hope and delight dripping in his tone.
Charlie squeezed his hand. “Yeah.”
Darcy was the first to spot them when they came back into view, immediately throwing her arms up in triumph. “Pay up, Jonesy! Sky High for the next three movie dates!”